The Doldrums
by Farewellxo
Summary: Once 1980 hits, everyone seems to move on with their lives- everyone except Jackie. When the unexpected happens, she finds strength in the one she least expected.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have been MIA for a while and I'll admit, it's been a very, very long time since I've finished a story. To be honest, some of them probably will go unfinished. However, once in a while I get a little inspiration and this has actually been lasting me a while. I don't have this story carefully planned out; it's gonna go where it's gonna go, but I have been more of a Jackie/Eric fan lately. Overall, feedback is appreciated and I hope you like it.**

…

 **April 1980**

Jackie Burkhart drove off feeling slightly ashamed, slightly disappointed, and hugely depressed. She was headed back to the apartment she shared with her boyfriend of nearly six months and she hoped -more than anything- that he wasn't home yet.

Her car had been needing an oil change for a long time and, despite the few hours she spent with Red Forman working on his car, she had no idea how to do the task. She had been nagging Fez about it for nearly a week, even though she knew he had no idea either, but the _least_ he could do was take it into the shop for her. Mechanics were notorious for taking advantage of clueless girls. However, Fez was very busy between his cosmetology classes and his job at the local salon. He wouldn't make the time for her car, which spawned an argument, and Jackie was forced to take the car to the shop all by herself.

The man who changed her oil was surprisingly helpful. His name was Nathaniel, and he didn't try to convince her that she needed new parts for her vehicle or anything. Even more, he had looked to be around Jackie's age and he was pretty cute, in a rugged kind of way. There had been some harmless flirting on both ends, and by the time her car was ready, he took her by surprise by asking her out. Feeling foolish and disgusted with herself, she admitted to him that she had a boyfriend. Nathaniel cracked a stupid joke about upping the price; she forced a smile, and handed him some cash.

"I don't need change," she had told him.

"I was kidding," Nathaniel pointed out, a tiny smirk on his face.

"I know," Jackie said. "It's okay. Thanks for your help."

She had driven off immediately after the exchange, her face aflame as the guilt began to hit her.

What the hell was she doing with her life? Even Fez was chasing his dreams, as silly as they may seem to her sometimes.

Jackie did have a job at the local news station, but she only worked weekends and it was a miniscule, behind-the-scenes type of deal. She had not-so-secretly hoped that getting her foot in at this studio would someday lead to her own dreams coming true, but that didn't seem to be happening, and if it was, it wasn't happening fast enough. She wasn't even sure if that was her real dream, anyway.

It was this heavy emphasis on love and romanticizing everything that constantly screwed her over. She was so hopeful and open with Michael, and that only harrowed her self-esteem in the long run. Then there was Steven, who taught her a lot of things, but he ultimately was too impulsive, while she liked planning things out, and that's where she decided the problem lied between the two of them eventually.

Finally, there was Fez. On paper, it had sounded so great. The third time had to be the charm, right? Here was this guy whom she had known for years; a guy that she knew was sweet and was never subtle about his feelings in any way. He had always worshipped her, caressing her ego, and had even provided relationship advice to her former beaus on how to treat her better. He had to be the one, even though she never saw it in the past. However, beginning to date someone you were already living with had proved to be tougher than she thought. In addition to this, Fez had grown a bit more withdrawn. She knew he wasn't always being his complete self around her anymore, and instead put on a silly persona not unlike the Fez he was when they had first met. Certain things bugged him more, and he seemed to ignore it and bury it until some days he would finally crack and explode on her, the catalyst being something small and insignificant, but the underlying issue being something that obviously weighed on him. The thing was, Fez was never mean and he certainly wasn't abusive. One may even have a hard time taking him seriously when he'd blow up like that. However, by now, Jackie knew Fez. Things weren't right, and she was pretty sure they never were and they never were going to be.

So, the more she thought about it, the more she wished she didn't feel the need for a relationship at all. Still, Jackie was needy and not so comfortable with her own company. Therefore the only dream of hers that she actively pursued was the one where she found her Prince Charming. Her standards weren't quite so high as they were when she was in high school, and she figured that would make her goal more attainable, but clearly, that wasn't the case. So, yeah, she had a boyfriend, but that wasn't working out very well, and yeah, a cute mechanic asked her out, but he probably wouldn't have been her Prince Charming either, had she been single.

Jackie sighed as she pulled into the lot where her apartment building was. There wasn't a close parking space (there never was), but she could see Fez's beat up car towards the end of the lot. She wasn't ready to face him today. The last time they had spoken was earlier that morning before he left for work, and the words they shared weren't too harsh, but they weren't exactly pleasant. If anything, they felt empty. That's how Jackie felt, too… empty.

Everybody seemed to have a plan or some sort of good thing going on in their lives lately besides her. Fez was following his dreams, Hyde was still managing his own record store, Kelso was working at the Playboy Club in Chicago _and_ had a daughter, Eric had recently returned from Africa and was currently attending those prepaid courses at the local community college, and Donna had decided to leave town and go to college in Seattle, where she was also working at a major radio station.

Jackie felt the sting of tears in her eyes. All her life, she thought she'd be somebody by now. She was supposed to be adored. Yet, her mother abandoned her, her father was in prison, her best friend had moved states away, and her boyfriend hadn't been very romantic towards her since the first two weeks that they began dating.

She was alone like she never thought she could be.

Frustrated, she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and stepped out of her car, not stopping to look at the dismal, grey skies as she headed inside.

"Jackie?"

She heard Fez's voice as she entered the apartment.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm just getting back from the oil change."

"Oh."

Jackie peeled off her jacket and hung it up next to the door, seeing Fez standing in the kitchen with a melancholy look on his face as he gazed at a silver statue of a comb.

"What's that?" Jackie inquired.

"They gave us mock awards in class today after our exams," Fez said. "So it's official."

"What's official?" Jackie asked, opening the refrigerator for a Diet Coke.

"Jackie, seriously?" Fez set the statue down on the counter. "I am now licensed. It was the last day of classes. I've told you so many times." Frustration was evident in his voice despite the way he was trying to hide it.

"Oh, oh, Fez." Jackie stepped away from the refrigerator and set the soda on the counter. She gave him a congratulatory hug. "I'm so sorry; I do remember now."

He hugged her back, and suddenly the fact that someone had their arms around her made her even sadder. The tears welled in her eyes again and she felt shame. This was Fez's moment, and she was making it all about her. She stifled a sob and Fez pulled away.

"Jackie." He looked at her, perplexed.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes as she avoided his. "I'm just so awful for forgetting, I'm sorry."

Fez's eyes narrowed. "That's not it, though."

"No, no, it's not." She exited the kitchen and sat on the living room couch as Fez trailed behind her. "Fez… this is not going the way that I had hoped."

"Us?" he asked, not missing a beat.

"My whole life," Jackie admitted. "I don't know what I want, but I can't start working towards it if I don't know." She was trying her best to not ugly cry but as every word escaped her mouth, she felt the threat looming nearer. "And you, and me… I just… you agree with me, don't you?"

Fez looked down and sighed. "Jackie, all I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, and… I don't think I make you happy."

"Okay, Fez, but I don't think I make you happy either, and that matters, too," Jackie pointed out.

Fez mulled it over for a moment. "I am happy," he said, locking eyes with her before averting his gaze. "But it's not because of you."

Despite her premonitions and her own feelings, those words were still like a slap in the face. "I think we thought this was going to be perfect," she uttered. "I mean, I did, and… it's not. I think… I think I think too much."

"You do," Fez admitted. "But, I understand. I spent all those years wanting you to be mine, and now that you are, things just aren't the same."

"Maybe we've just grown up," Jackie softly uttered, staring at a vase perched on the coffee table that contained dead flowers from Valentine's Day. "I'm so sorry. I just… I don't even know what to do."

"Well, it might be weird," Fez stated, "But we can still live together. Neither of us has any place to go."

"Are you sure?" Jackie asked, concerned.

"It's fine with me." Fez's voice was solemn, which was a rare occurrence.

"I'm sorry," Jackie repeated.

"Don't be," Fez offered. "We're on the same page, Jackie."


	2. Chapter 2

…

A week passed and the living arrangement was strange but it was doable.

Jackie wasn't any happier and she couldn't tell if Fez was either, but a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, which made it a little better.

Fez made himself even scarcer since the breakup, and Jackie wasn't sure if he was just busier at work now that he was licensed or if he was seeking out things to do so they wouldn't have to be alone in the apartment. She almost appreciated the thought, although she despised the loneliness. For all she knew, he was fooling around with girls from the salon, and that notion didn't make her jealous, it merely made her feel pathetic.

Donna was gone, Michael was gone, and she sure as hell wasn't going to try and hang out with Eric or Steven. She didn't really have friends at work, as she was barely there anyway. The only people she could think to reach out to would be either Kitty Forman or the former members of the cheer squad, and those options made her feel even more pathetic.

Impulsively, she sprung to her feet as she remembered the mechanic who asked her out. The whole encounter was embarrassing, but he didn't seem to take the situation too seriously, and that gave her hope that if she returned, she may not humiliate herself. She, in a way that she loathed, was desperate.

Jackie looked herself over in the mirror just to make sure she still looked okay. She had this extensive habit of getting totally made up every day despite never having plans. It was just one of the ways she masked her boredom, if only for a couple hours.

Before she could overthink her way out of it, she fled the apartment and headed to the shop that she was at only a week earlier. It was a five minute drive, which was nice, because if it had been ten minutes away, she most certainly would've convinced herself that she was being a loser and would make herself turn around.

She pulled in a parking space and drew in a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she became more and more aware of how stupid she was being. She couldn't do this. This was a new low for her. She didn't even know this guy, and he would definitely see how pathetic she was.

She breathed out and slid her sunglasses up on her nose, eager to back out of this parking lot and to never return to this specific shop again for fear of remembering this ridiculous moment.

There was a tap on her window before she could put her car in reverse, and Jackie gasped loudly. It was Nathaniel. Her cheeks heated up and she rolled down the window.

"Don't tell me you're having car trouble now?" Nathaniel said, a small grin on his face as he crouched down to be at her level. "I thought I checked it all out last week."

"Oh, um, yeah, it's just… it's been making this weird noise and it just… it's making me paranoid," Jackie stammered.

"Where's the noise coming from?" Nathaniel asked, giving the car a once-over.

"The hood," Jackie squeaked, feeling so humiliated that she could die right there.

"Pop it for me?" Nathaniel asked.

Jackie reached for the lever and stopped herself before she could pull it. This was torture and even though she had only been there a minute at most, it was lasting forever.

"No, I… I can't," Jackie admitted, dropping her hand on her thigh.

The smirk appeared on Nathaniel's face despite his confusion. "Sure you can," he said encouragingly. "Your hand was right there."

"No, I…" Jackie bit her lip and remembered she had lip-gloss on. "God, this is embarrassing… I…" She couldn't even figure out what the hell she was supposed to say without sounding like a complete idiot.

"You change your mind about that date?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She felt a sweep of relief rush through her body. "Um, yeah, something like that," she said, finally feeling like she could make eye contact with him.

"So, why'd you lie about the boyfriend?" He grinned as though he were teasing her. "I didn't scare you, did I? You got a little squirrelly at the end there."

Jackie blushed again. "I didn't lie. I did have a boyfriend, and I felt dumb about it, especially because I knew things weren't going to work out… and they didn't."

"Hmm. Well, it worked out for me." He winked at her. "You wanna give me your number?"

"Um…" Jackie thought about the potential of Fez answering the phone and felt awful, but she also didn't feel like explaining the fact that she lived with her ex-boyfriend to Nathaniel. "How about I just make it easy on you and tell you that I _only_ work weekends, and because I don't really have any friends in the area anymore, I never have plans otherwise?"

"You only work weekends?" Nathaniel inquired. "What are you, like, a nurse?"

Jackie snorted and shook her head. "I work on Weekends with Wendy on channel seven."

"Oh. Cool." Nathaniel nodded. "Well, I'm usually work during the week, but I do happen to be off tomorrow… so we could go out tonight, if that's cool."

"Sure," Jackie said. "I'll give you my address and I'll just meet you outside at… seven? Does that work?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Nathaniel said, and she began scrawling her address on an old receipt. "So I really left that lasting of an impression on ya, huh?"

Jackie smiled flirtatiously and handed him the piece of paper. "Don't flatter yourself… maybe I just don't know that many people."

Nathaniel cracked a grin. "You're feisty." He tucked the receipt in his pocket. "Uh, where do you wanna go?"

"Let's just figure it out when you get there," Jackie mentioned. "Just… I'll meet you outside, okay?"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes a little bit but his grin was still in tact. "Feisty and mysterious," he pondered aloud as he tapped the hood of her car. "Well, alright, angel eyes, I'll see you at seven." He stood upright and started walking backwards so she could still see him.

"See you then," Jackie replied, feeling slightly giddy.

"Outside," Nathaniel emphasized jokingly as he walked away.

Jackie shifted her car in reverse and exited the parking lot. That had gone much, much better than she had anticipated.


	3. Chapter 3

…

Jackie spent the night at Nate's (he insisted on being called that, due to the length of his full name) after their first date. Fez had nearly lost his mind when Jackie didn't come home that night.

"I left a note," she had protested.

"Yes, but your car was still here!" he had argued. "You could've been kidnapped. They could've _forced_ you to write that note, aye!"

Fez had been a little weird when he learned where she was, but he overall couldn't be angry. He was just happy that his longtime friend and ex-girlfriend was doing something other than sitting at home watching soap operas, even if it was doing some guy she had just met.

It had been a couple weeks since their date, and Jackie regularly went over to Nate's house to fool around and hang out. His roommate and friend Tom was a little bit pervy, but she liked him nonetheless. She never refused attention from anyone.

Nate reminded her a lot of Steven, in the sense that he was distant, yet pretty protective of her. Unlike Steven, he welcomed her clinginess, just as he welcomed her willingness to spread her legs on the first date. It had been a long time for her, admittedly, because she and Fez felt way too weird doing anything beyond kissing. Nate was a pretty hard-working guy, but Jackie appreciated that he spent any free time he had with her. She was smitten, and she was pretty sure he was, too.

It was ten o'clock on a Friday night when Nate dropped Jackie off. She didn't want to stay the night because she had to be at work bright and early the next day.

Upon unlocking and entering the apartment, she was welcomed by Fez, who was nervously pacing in front of the door.

"Hi, Fez," Jackie greeted pleasantly, albeit with a confused tone.

Fez stopped pacing and looked at her. "Okay, Jackie, we need to talk." He grabbed her hand and led her to the couch before she even had time to take off her jacket.

Jackie felt concerned as she sat down next to him. "Fez, is everything okay?"

"No, no, everything is not fine," Fez admitted. He looked at the floor and sighed. "I know we said that things wouldn't be weird if we kept living together, and I am really sorry, Jackie, but this is weird. I did not expect you to start dating so soon."

"Oh." Jackie bit her lip and nodded. "Okay, I… I understand."

"I, however, may have found a solution," Fez offered. "Bob's house is empty now."

Before he could continue to speak, Jackie wrinkled her nose. "Fez, that would be so awkward; I mean, Donna isn't there anymore. It can't just be me and Bob."

"Okay, so maybe the Formans take you in and I can have Eric or Hyde take your room here," Fez suggested. "That was my other plan."

Jackie raised her eyebrows, the tension in the room becoming very apparent to her. "Fez, I… I can't be a charity case again."

"See, Jackie, Miss Kitty is very welcoming," Fez pointed out.

"Mr. Forman isn't," Jackie responded with a snort.

"But I am formally kicking you out," Fez stated. "You will have no place to go. You can offer them rent if that's how you feel."

"Okay, Fez, don't worry," Jackie mumbled. "I won't stay here. I just… I don't know."

"You can try your new boyfriend," Fez mentioned after slight hesitation.

Jackie quickly shook her head. "No, that is not an option. It's way too early for that, not to mention his place is kind of gross. It's a total bachelor pad." She frowned and looked at her hands. "How much time do I have?"

"I'm not giving you a time limit," Fez said, shaking his head in surprise.

"Okay, well…" She finally looked at her friend. "I'll talk to Mrs. Forman when I'm off on Sunday."

"That will be fine," Fez replied with a nod. He gave Jackie a sympathetic look. "I am very sorry, Jackie."

"No, Fez, I get it," Jackie admitted. "And, I'm glad that you were honest with me about how you feel."

"Yes, well… it is something I am working on with you," Fez said plainly. He stood up. "You have to be at work very early. Maybe you should get some sleep."

Jackie nodded. "You're right. I'll try."

She got up and headed to bed, although she was now wide-awake.

…

"Oh, honey, of course you can stay!" Kitty Forman's voice was as warm and welcoming as ever.

"What?" Eric asked, visibly upset from where he sat at the table across from his father.

Red cleared his throat and put down the paper. "Kitty, don't I get any say in you riddling this house with more kids?"

Jackie bit her lip and awaited the matron's response. This was the part she was nervous about. She knew how tough Red Forman could be after all of her years hanging out under his roof; hell, everyone knew.

"She is a young woman, Red, not a kid," Kitty pointed out.

"Well," Jackie interjected, "Fez actually was saying that maybe if Eric or Steven moved with him, it wouldn't be so intrusive of me… and it would help him with rent."

Eric opened his mouth and Kitty quickly shut him up.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," she mumbled. "My baby _just_ got back from Africa. He is _not_ moving away from me."

"Why the hell not?" Red asked, now intrigued by the concept.

"What about Steven?" Jackie inquired, just as Hyde retreated upstairs.

"What about me?" he muttered.

Jackie drew in a deep breath. "Fez thinks it's too weird if we live together, so I was gonna see if I could stay here and maybe you could live with him."

"Live with Fez?" Hyde snorted as he sat next to Eric at the table. "Yeah, that sounds _real_ fun."

"But Steven, he's hardly even home," Jackie pointed out. Hyde looked unconvinced. "You'd get your own bedroom, and actual bedroom."

Hyde shrugged. "I don't know, man. I've gotten so used to sleeping in a storage room that I might start to act a little entitled if I had my own space." He darted his eyes toward Jackie behind his sunglasses. "Kinda like you."

"Okay, well." Jackie stopped to think. "The alternative is living here with me. So, think about it… Fez, or me?"

"Alright, you've convinced me," Hyde replied, with a light smack of satisfaction on the table.

Eric dropped his spoon into his bowl of cereal. "What, Hyde, no! You can't just… leave me here with _her._ "

Jackie rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Listen, Eric, I'm not that difficult to live with. It's not like we hang out, anyways."

"She'd better not be difficult to live with," Red casually mentioned, still invested in his paper. "Or I'm blaming you." He glanced at Eric.

"What? Why me?" Eric asked, incredulous. " _Mom's_ the one who—"

"Eric," Kitty uttered sternly. She looked at Jackie. "I'm sure that you will be a wonderful housemate, Jackie. It'll be nice to have another girl around, although I am sad to see my Steven go." She kissed the top of her surrogate son's puffy head while he pretended to be annoyed.

"I'll pay, too," Jackie insisted.

"No," Red grunted, setting down the paper and looking at the young woman. "You see, if you paid, that would make my house kind of like a hotel… and I am _not_ running a damn hotel!"

"Yeah, I really am not comfortable taking money from you," Kitty agreed. "I know you've had gone through some… difficulties in the past year and I want to see you come into your own without me and Red draining your finances."

Jackie sighed. "I am not a charity case. I'm not like Steven, okay?"

"Hey, I paid my fair share of rent," Hyde pointed out.

"Alright, there are too many damn kids in this kitchen," Red muttered angrily as he stood up. "I'm going in the living room." He exited the kitchen.

Kitty rolled her eyes at her ornery husband. "So, Jackie, Steven… when do you want to do this?"

"I'd like to as soon as possible, honestly," Jackie admitted. "It's just… getting a little weird."

"Well, yeah, 'cause you're banging another dude in your ex-boyfriend's apartment," Hyde stated flatly.

"For your information, he has not been over once," Jackie stated defensively. "I'm being respectful of Fez, okay?"

Hyde smirked. "Yeah, you were real respectful when you started dating a dude a week after you guys broke up. I'm just surprised you're not trying to woo Forman, 'cause it seemed like you were just trying to make your way through all of us."

"Ew," Eric mumbled.

"Uh, no," Jackie responded sharply. "Steven, you're being kind of an ass so I'm just gonna leave." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "Thank you, Mrs. Forman."

"Yeah, and you're kind of a bitch," Hyde called after her as she exited the house.

Kitty gave him a disapproving look. "Maybe it's best that you two aren't under the same roof."

"Yeah, and now I'm stuck with her," Eric whined. "I mean, Jackie and I have only ever been alone maybe three times ever, and trust me, it never ends well."

"Nothing with Jackie ever ends well," Hyde retorted.

"Well, aren't you two a couple of party poopers," Kitty stated. "I'm just gonna leave you both to your negativity."

She exited the kitchen, leaving Hyde with the anticipation of living elsewhere and Eric with the discouraging notion of sharing a roof with Jackie.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It's so motivating seeing that people are happy with how this is going. It moves slowly, but a huge flaw of mine is trying to be as realistic as possible when it comes to stories as I've begun to write more. Please by patient with me!**

…

"Dinner was great, Mrs. Forman," Jackie said gratefully as Kitty cleared the plates from the table. "I probably should get back to unpacking."

She headed up to Laurie's old room where there were numerous bags filled with clothes, shoes, and cosmetics. Feeling overwhelmed, she ignored the mounds and sat on the flowery duvet that covered the bed.

Things were looking up, it seemed. Moving was always stressful but at least this brought another change into her life, and she welcomed that immensely. She thought about Hyde and how he was settling in. It was odd to think about, her ex-boyfriend living in her old room, sharing an apartment with her other ex-boyfriend. She wondered if they'd ever trash talk her, and then ignored the unwelcome thought. She didn't need to dwell on bad things if they weren't presenting themselves in front of her.

A knock was heard on the door.

"Yeah?"

Eric slowly opened the door, a begrudging look on his face. "Mom wants me to help you."

"Oh, how thoughtful, Eric," Jackie sarcastically replied.

He entered the room. "Well, you sure are working hard on getting your stuff unpacked."

"It's a little overwhelming, okay?" Jackie spat, sick of his annoying behavior already.

"Alright, well, most of these are clothes, right?" Jackie nodded. "I guess I can just start… folding." He headed over to an open bag with clothes spilling out of it.

Jackie watched him, as the concept of him doing things for her was slightly entertaining due to his chagrin. That all stopped when he pulled out one of her nicest dresses.

"No, no, no; Eric, what are you doing?" Jackie quickly got up and went over to where he stood. "You can't _fold_ that; it has to be hung! It's delicate!"

Eric raised his eyebrows at her and tossed the dress into her arms. "Fine, give me an easier job."

Jackie scoffed at his ignorance and then tried to think of something for him to do. "Okay, shoes." She found the bag containing most of them and gestured. "Just… _neatly_ line them up in the closet, okay?"

"Whatever." Eric dumped the bag of shoes out and started making pairs. "You know, this really sucks, alright? I mean, Hyde _always_ had a big baggie on him and he always shared. Now I'm just stuck… being your errand boy."

Jackie smirked at him. "You know, I do have some."

Eric stopped what he was doing and looked at her in surprise. "Wait, really?"

"Sure," Jackie said. "I mean, I needed to find some way to pass the time living practically by myself in that apartment."

"Alright," Eric commented giddily. "Wanna go to the basement?"

"Eric." Jackie's voice was sharp. "We need to get this done, okay? _Then_ we can reward ourselves by going in the basement."

Eric just shrugged and continued lining Jackie's closet with shoes as she vigorously hung up her dresses and tops.

They didn't speak for a good ten minutes, except for when Jackie snapped at Eric for placing a pair of boots in between two pairs of kitten heels.

When he was done, he stood up.

"Okay, what's next?" Eric grabbed another bag and reached in it, pulling out a silk pair of panties. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope." He set that bag down and grabbed another one, pulling out a lacy black bra. He dropped it like it was on fire. "God, Jackie, do you have any other bags that aren't filled with your… under-things?" His cheeks were slightly aflame as he looked over at the brunette.

"Yes." Jackie stood up. "And be careful with that," she snapped, picking up the bra he had dropped and finding a vacant drawer to place it in. "How about I shift focus on my 'under-things', as you so eloquently say, and you start separating my skirts and my pants."

"Separate?" Eric asked, wrinkling his nose and trying to repress the urge to wash his hands after his encounter with Jackie's delicates.

"Yes, Eric," Jackie replied impatiently. "Skirts get hung; pants get folded. Here, you can put the pants in this bottom drawer."

"Fine." Eric went to the bag that she pointed to and began doing as she said. "You know, I'm sure Fez was just thrilled to help you do all of this when you moved in there."

"Yeah, Fez likes to organize," Jackie agreed. "Although he ruined a really nice white blouse that day because he had chocolate on his hands." She grimaced at the memory.

Eric snorted. "I was just saying that he probably enjoyed the potential of seeing all of your panties in one place."

Jackie chortled. "Do you know Fez at all? He had been in my underwear drawer numerous times way before we lived together. Hell, he had a field day when Donna and I shared a room."

"You know, that is very true and I even knew that," Eric admitted. "I guess I just forgot because I was gone so long."

Jackie nodded and continued folding her delicates. After a moment, she finally spoke.

"Did you like it there?"

Eric was stunned. "Are you actually asking me a question about myself?"

"Are you going to ruin it by asking questions back?" Jackie shot back.

The corners of Eric's lips turned up in amusement, and he thought about her inquiry. "I guess it wasn't horrible. I think I needed, more than anything, to just get away from this place for a little bit."

"So, why Africa, of all places?" Jackie asked, a look of disgust present on her face.

"Well, they aren't exactly looking for inexperienced teachers in Paris, Jackie," Eric said with a chuckle.

Jackie shrugged. "I guess it agreed with you, though. I mean, you did finally fill out after the countless years of puberty you went through."

"Did you just compliment me or burn me?" Eric asked with a laugh.

"I was being nice, Eric," Jackie stated, her tone a little defensive. "Anyways, why did you even need to go?"

"I hadn't seen anything beyond this town besides, like, Canada," Eric replied. "At the very least, I had to get out of Red's hair, or lack thereof, before he actually stuck his foot in my ass."

"Yeah, well, you broke Donna's heart," Jackie said abruptly.

Eric froze for a moment upon hearing the name of his ex-girlfriend. "Yeah, well… I don't know."

"No, you do know," Jackie insisted.

Eric sighed. "I… I think she needed me to go, too, you know? That way she'd realize that she doesn't belong here, 'cause she never belonged here. She never wanted to, anyways."

"Yeah, well, way to go, Eric," Jackie stated with a slight eye roll. "You got my only friend to move away."

Eric didn't say anything, remaining focused on the skirt/pants situation that lie before him. He thought about Donna and how the whole promise ring fiasco played out… how she had told him she didn't think her future may include him. "Yeah, well, she always said she wanted things that weren't just limited to falling in love, getting married, having babies…"

Jackie snorted. She always knew she and Donna were different, but she never realized the huge difference that Eric had just pointed out. "I guess… but she was my only friend," she lamented sadly.

"Maybe start being nicer, and you'll make more," Eric kidded.

Jackie was silent.

He lightly elbowed her. "Hey, I was joking, you know? We always have that… stupid banter."

"I know," Jackie admitted. "I'm not offended, I just… I just wish I wasn't so alone."

"You have your boyfriend, right?" Eric pointed out.

"Well, yeah, if I can even call him that," Jackie answered. "I don't know, though. I'm glad I have somebody, but it'd be better if I had a friend."

"Alright, Jackie, I'll tell you what," Eric began. "As long as we're being forced to live under the same roof and hang out and whatnot, we can technically say we're friends… but only to each other." He paused for dramatic effect. "No one can know."

A small smile formed on Jackie's face and she poked him in the ribs with a spare hanger. "Fine."


	5. Chapter 5

…

"You sure I can't come inside and we can go for round four?" Nate asked, his arm draped behind Jackie's shoulders as they sat in his car.

Jackie giggled flirtatiously. "No, Nate, I have to be respectful of the Formans, okay? I'm sure one day you can come in and meet them and everything, but… tonight isn't a good night."

Nate leaned toward her and pulled her shoulders closer to him. "Okay, sweetheart," he murmured in her ear just before kissing her neck sensually.

"I know what you're doing," Jackie said, laughing as she pulled away, "And it's not gonna work."

"Seems to always work," Nate mentioned, tucking a strand of Jackie's hair behind her ears.

"You're only gonna tease yourself," Jackie pointed out. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned to get out of the car.

"Oh, no, you don't," Nate said with a grin, pulling her back in. She leaned in and he gave her a softer, longer kiss on the lips. She smiled at him as they pulled away and he smiled back. "That's more like it."

Jackie opened the car door and stepped out.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," Nate called, and she waved goodbye.

Jackie's stomach fluttered after that kiss, but then it dropped when she remembered her potential situation at hand.

She opened the sliding door to find Kitty in the kitchen, furiously beating some batter.

"Brownies at this time, Mrs. Forman?" Jackie asked. "What's the occasion?"

"When I can't sleep, I bake," Kitty told her, her eyes focused on the giant mixing bowl before her as she whisked.

Jackie sighed and sat on one of the stools behind the counter.

"Now, what's wrong?" Kitty inquired, noting the sigh.

"Mrs. Forman…" Jackie drew in a deep breath. "I'm late. I'm really… really late."

"Well, sure you are," Kitty said, as she began greasing the pan for the brownies. "But you don't have to be up too early tomorrow, do you?"

"No," Jackie said, shaking her head. "Mrs. Forman… I'm _late_."

Kitty dropped the pan and looked at the young brunette whose eyes were wide and concerned. "You… oh, no."

Jackie nodded slowly.

"How late?" Kitty asked.

"Um…" Jackie looked down at her feet. "It's been about a month."

"Well, that's no big deal," Kitty reassured her. "A month since you had it?"

"A month since… since I was supposed to have it," Jackie admitted.

"Jackie!" Kitty scolded. She set down the utensil that was still in her hand and walked away from the oven and closer to the girl. "Have you taken a test?"

Jackie shook her head.

"Do… do you know who the father could be?" Kitty asked hesitantly.

"Well, yeah," Jackie stated. "It would be Nate."

Kitty looked uneasy. "What about Fez?"

"No, Mrs. Forman, Fez and I never… well, you know," Jackie responded.

"Really?" Kitty asked in surprise, and Jackie nodded. "Well… well, I guess we should just get you to the doctor's office and find out for sure. There's no use in fretting over something that could be a fluke."

Jackie bit her lip and nodded slowly. "But what do I do… after?"

"Like I said," Kitty repeated, "There's no use worrying until we're sure."

"We've only been together for a short amount of time," Jackie continued. "It's only just now kind of getting serious."

"If it's true, then you'll have to talk with him," Kitty told her. "And I'm sure he'll be understanding. Everything happens for a reason, you know."

Jackie sighed. "I guess so… I'm gonna go to bed, then." She stood up and started walking toward the living room. "And… thanks."

"Sweetie, you can talk to me anytime," Kitty replied sympathetically. "We'll… we'll just figure this out together, okay?"

Jackie nodded and began heading up to her room.

…

Six weeks. She had officially been knocked up for six weeks. Jackie could even trace it back to the day.

It was their first date; the first time they got to know each other. They each had a few drinks and were now at his place. She was lying on his bed and they both knew what was about to happen. He was teasing her in such a way that she couldn't focus on anything but the pleasure that she was feeling and the euphoria that was to come. He had mumbled something, just as she uttered something affirmative, simply out of pleasure. That's where the misunderstanding lied.

The next time they did it, he tried to go in without protection. Jackie had stopped him.

"You said you were on birth control," Nate had pointed out.

"I never said that," Jackie insisted.

"I asked you last time," Nate responded adamantly. "You said you were."

"Well, I'm not," Jackie had said, and they let it go.

Now, here she was… pregnant and terrified.

Kitty told her that she had to tell Nate when he got off, which was four o'clock. It was now four thirty.

Dinner was being prepared when she left. Jackie had grabbed a banana on her way out because she knew she'd be missing out on eating that night. However, her appetite was basically nonexistent for she was way, way too nervous.

"Mrs. Forman, just do me a favor," Jackie had said before she left. "Will you tell them? I can't handle telling any more people today and… well, I'm sure Mr. Forman's feedback may not initially be positive."

"Well, of course, honey," Kitty responded.

Now, Jackie had been gone a good twenty minutes. Dinner was being served and it was only Kitty, Red, and Eric.

"Jackie with her boyfriend?" Red inquired, plopping a pile of potatoes on his plate.

"Yes," Kitty said, feeling a little anxious.

Everybody continued dressing up their plates, and once Red and Eric began eating, she decided it was time to tell them.

"So… Red, Eric," Kitty began nervously.

Eric raised his eyebrows at her. "Mom."

"Jackie and I took a little visit to the doctor today," Kitty stated. "Um, it turns out that Jackie is six weeks pregnant."

"What?"

Red dropped his fork and Eric's mouth hung open.

"Kitty, if you are trying to tell me that there is going to be a baby in this house, well… that is just not going to happen," Red said, his voice grave but firm.

"Well, Red, I don't know what you think she's supposed to do," Kitty told her husband. "She is over there, telling him right now, and I think it all comes down to how he handles this. Maybe he'll want her to live with him; I don't know!"

"Yeah, well this is their responsibility—not ours!" Red's face was, ironically, turning a shade of crimson.

"Yes, well, she doesn't really have anybody else," Kitty pointed out.

Red was fuming and he looked at his son. "This is your fault."

"How the hell is it my fault?" Eric asked in surprise.

"Why do all of your friends have to have crappy parents?" Red slammed his fist on the table. "This house is supposed to be getting emptier, not more full! We just keep adding dumbasses in the mix until we're all full up."

"Red, a baby is not a dumbass," Kitty said firmly. "And I happen to know that you are actually quite fond of Jackie, so there's no way you think she's a… a dumbass, either." She rolled her eyes as she uttered her husband's favorite word a second time.

"Fond of her?" Red asked. "Kitty, I'm not fond of anyone, quite frankly, except for you. I only happen to dislike her a little less than the rest of the bunch." He sighed. "Listen, I know that this is what you think is right, but for God's sake, Kitty, will I ever get some peace and quiet in this house?"

Kitty narrowed her eyes, feeling triggered. "You keep acting like this, Red Forman, and you can get all the peace and quiet you want." She got up and stormed out of the kitchen.

Oblivious, Red continued eating. "See, that's all I wanted to hear."

"Oh… Dad." Eric shook his head.

They finished eating in silence and it only took Red about ten minutes to realize that his wife was actually mad.

"Oh, crap." He got up from the table and headed to their bedroom where he was sure his wife was.

Eric couldn't help but giggle at his father's ignorance. He got up and headed to the basement to watch some TV.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw a figure on the couch and gasped.

Jackie turned around, noticing him, and slumped her shoulders.

"What are you doing down here?" Eric asked. "I thought… well, why didn't you come in upstairs when you got back?" He walked over to where she was sitting, noticing her eyes were red and puffy, and not in the fun way.

Jackie stayed silent but her lip kept trembling.

"Jackie," Eric said again. "Mom told us… did it not go well?"

"Oh, Eric!" Jackie jumped up and hugged him as she began to sob uncontrollably. He was slightly taken aback at first, but decided that he and Jackie were friends now, so he should comfort her.

"What… I mean, what did he say?" Eric asked, gently patting her on the back as she continued to weep into his shirt.

"He… said… that…" Between her sniffling, hiccupping, and the fact that her face was buried in his shirt, Eric could barely understand what she was saying.

"Okay, just… you can wait until you've calmed down a little," Eric told her.

She cried and cried for a few more minutes, and when she could finally manage to pull herself together a little bit, she pulled away from Eric and sat down.

He sat next to her. "What happened?" He was genuinely concerned.

"He… he got mad," Jackie said, her voice shaky. "He said it was my fault."

"Your fault?" Eric asked in disbelief.

"Well, there was this misunderstanding," Jackie admitted. She told him what happened on their first date.

"Well…" Eric shook his head. "I mean, still."

"He told me he can't do it." She tried to take a deep breath but was interrupted by a hiccup. "He won't do it." Another tear emerged from her eye. "He acted like… like I inconvenienced him or something. I mean, do you think I want to get fat?" She began sobbing again, this time onto Eric's shoulder.

He patted her back again as she cried. "Jackie… you, like, just told him. Maybe he didn't have the best response… like, at all, but he'll probably come around. Just give him a few days."

Jackie sniffed again, removing her face from his shoulder. "Do you really think so?"

Eric shrugged. "Probably."

Her chin trembled. "Eric, I have no idea how to be a mom… like, my mom didn't even know how to be a mom."

"You'll get the hang of it," Eric reassured her. "I think you've already become a lot less self-absorbed since high school." He cracked a smile even though he was serious. Jackie's eyes were still filled with tears when he looked at her. "Okay… so you were telling me you needed something more in your life. Maybe this is it?"

"I needed fulfillment, Eric, not a full-fledged responsibility growing in my uterus," Jackie told him sharply.

"I'm just saying that once it's a baby, and it's out, and not, like… a pending concept," Eric said, "I don't think you're gonna see it as a responsibility. Not overall, at least. It's gonna be, like, this little thing that you made and you're gonna feel so much love for it."

Jackie thought about what he said and looked down. "I guess you're right." She felt a rush of affection for the child she just learned about earlier that day and placed a hand over her temporarily flat belly. "You must have thought a lot about being a dad when you were with Donna."

Eric sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well… turns out she doesn't even want kids. Didn't, I mean. Maybe she'll want some one day, just with someone else."

"Yeah, well… I'm sure you'll be a great dad when your day comes," Jackie kindly told him.

"Thanks," Eric said, feeling slightly uncomfortable after discussing Donna again. "Maybe we should just distract ourselves with some good old fashioned American Bandstand."

He flipped on the television. They sat in silence, paying attention to the program as Jackie calmed down. All that crying was exhausting and her eyes were tired as hell.

Eric watched intently as Jermaine Jackson performed, and was suddenly surprised to feel a head gently drop on his shoulder as Jackie's breathing became slow and steady. She was asleep. He wasn't very tired himself and the thought that she of all people had fallen asleep on him was a little odd, but he decided to let it go and allow her to rest.

The program ended and Jackie began to softly snore into his shoulder. He chuckled to himself… who would have ever thought Jackie Burkhart would snore? Upon his movement, she started to stir and began to snuggle into him. Instinctively, he put an arm around her and then realized what he did. The whole thing was very strange to him.

After two more shows, Eric was beginning to get pretty tired, so he gently poked her a few times with his hand that was around her waist.

"Hmm?" Her eyes fluttered open as she awoke and suddenly realized how close she was to Eric. She backed away quickly as he removed his arm. "Oh, um… I'm sorry."

"I was just gonna say, maybe we should go to bed," Eric said, and then instantly felt embarrassed. "Well, not 'we', more like you go to bed and I go to bed."

Jackie laughed sleepily. "I know. How long was I asleep for?"

"A little over an hour," Eric told her. "Also, you snore."

"I do not snore!"

"You do, too."

"Yeah, well… you're so bony that I'm surprised I could fall asleep on you," Jackie huffed.

"Yeah, sure, Jackie," Eric said with a laugh. "It's not like you've ever said I filled out nicely."

Jackie narrowed her eyes at him and smiled. "I never said nicely. You're embellishing."

"Like you've never flattered yourself." He stood up. "Come on, I actually have to shut the lights out down here now that Hyde's gone, and I'm just thankful I'm not alone for that."

"Wuss."

"Bitch."

The two went upstairs to their own bedrooms and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A big thank you to those who have been reviewing! I've been updating consistently everyday due to the fact that I've been writing pretty much any second I've had free time (which, admittedly, hasn't been much; I've worked every day this week) and I'm a little farther along in the story than what I've posted so far. I seldom get hit with inspiration like this, so I'm really trying to go with it before it runs out! Many thanks, and a belated merry Christmas!**

…

A week had passed, and Jackie made sure she was constantly by the phone, awaiting the phone call where Nate would profess his love for her and tell her he changed his mind.

She had cried herself to sleep each night and pretty much only emerged from her room for meals. Her appetite was increasing, which deeply disturbed her. Abandonment was always her biggest fear; next was getting fat. She definitely didn't want both to happen to her—especially at the same time.

Jackie felt perpetually exhausted, which she was thankful for because she was actually able to sleep and escape the horrible reality of her life. She was constantly resisting the urge to call Nate and either beg him to stay with her through this process or relentlessly bitch him out. Kitty tried to get Jackie to talk about it, but for the first time in her life, she didn't really feel like talking about herself.

"Hey, stranger." Eric poked his head in her door. "I was, uh, wondering…" He trailed off, looking sheepish.

"Spit it out, Eric," Jackie snapped, raising her eyebrows at him.

"You still have some… stuff, don't you?" Eric inquired.

"Stuff, like… oh, yeah." Jackie frowned. "Guess I can't be doing that anymore."

Eric nodded. "Just trying to help you out," he offered.

"Yeah, right," Jackie said sarcastically. "You're just out."

"Actually, _Hyde's_ out," Eric corrected. "He and Fez are in the basement, so…"

Jackie sat up and got off of the bed. She dug in her nightstand drawer for a moment before pulling out a bag. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Eric replied slowly. He looked back at her. "You know, maybe you should hang out with us. It'd be nice to get out of this… funk that you're in."

Jackie scoffed. "Can you blame me, Eric?" She shook her head. "Why would I want to hang out with two of my ex-boyfriends? Oh, hey, did you call up Michael, too?" She rolled her eyes.

"I mean, you hung out with Kelso when you were dating Hyde," Eric pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wasn't a fat, pathetic loser then," Jackie spat.

Eric smiled, amused. "I think you're much less of a loser now, to be honest… and you're not even showing yet, Jackie; what are you talking about?"

"Yeah, well, I've gained six pounds," Jackie stated, disgust evident in her voice. "I'm gonna have to start exclusively wearing sweatpants." She fiddled with the top of her high-waisted jeans. "I actually had trouble buttoning these today."

"Nobody can tell," Eric said flatly. "And sweatpants aren't the end of the world. Maybe they would've been in that shallow, little world you lived in a few years ago, but you're, like, beyond that now."

Jackie just shrugged, still frowning at the waistband of her pants.

"Aren't you sick of being alone?" Eric asked her.

Another shrug.

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

"Then come down to the basement," Eric urged. "Hyde and Fez aren't gonna be mean or anything. They're actually really pissed about that Nate guy."

"Really?" Jackie asked in surprise, and then remembered that these were people who cared about her, or at least did at some point. "Okay… I'll come down with you… but keep the smoke away from me!"

"We'll hold off for a bit," Eric promised.

They went down both flights of stairs and were greeted by the sight of Hyde, sitting in his usual chair, and Fez, who was on the couch.

"Look what I've got," Eric said excitedly, dangling the bag in front of Fez's face as he sat next to him on the couch.

"No way." Hyde eyed Jackie, who had just sat down in the other chair. "You had that?"

Jackie shrugged. "Well, it was from before. I would get bored at the apartment."

Fez turned to face his ex-girlfriend. "Were you holding out on me?" he asked in shock.

"Fez, you would come here to do that," Jackie pointed out. "I didn't have anywhere to go."

"You could've came along," Fez replied, and Jackie shook her head vehemently in response.

"Alright, enough talking," Hyde said. "Let's light up."

"Hyde, maybe we should… wait a little bit," Eric suggested, nodding his head toward Jackie, who instinctively put a hand on her belly.

"Right." Hyde nodded slowly. "'Keep forgetting about that."

It was quiet for a moment and Jackie began feeling like maybe she should have stayed upstairs.

"You know," Jackie said, "I am pretty much only alternating between two moods—nauseous and starving, neither of which are too pleasant—so… maybe I'll just go back upstairs."

"Well, wait, which one are you?" Eric asked.

"Starving," Jackie admitted.

"Well dinner should be done in an hour," Eric pointed out. "And there are popsicles in the deep freeze."

Jackie appreciated him trying to convince her to stay, but this was just a little too awkward. "Popsicles aren't very sustaining," she said, giving him a small, gracious smile as she stood up. "I'm just gonna grab something from the fridge upstairs and hang out until dinner."

"Okay," Eric said, defeated, as the brunette went up the stairs.

Hyde looked between Eric and Fez. "Okay, _now_ let's light up."

They broke out the stash and sat in the circle as they always did.

"Yeah, I can tell Jackie's pregnant," Fez stated after taking a hit. "Her breasts have gotten much larger already."

Eric rolled his eyes at the comment. "Yeah, well, she's pretty pissed 'cause she gained a few pounds in the past few weeks."

Hyde passed the joint to Eric. "I'm pretty pissed 'cause her body didn't look like that when I used to see her naked." He grinned at his perverseness. "Don't get me wrong- it was nice, but this is _much_ nicer… for the time being, anyway."

"Yes, those pounds could only have gone to her boobs and her ass," Fez agreed eagerly. "I'll admit, it'll be sexy when Jackie has a big pregnant stomach."

Hyde choked upon hearing Fez's comment.

"Guys, this is weird," Eric whined. "Can we, like, stop talking about this?"

"Okay, Forman, but you've gotta admit, she looks pretty hot," Hyde commented.

Eric did always think Jackie was attractive and he definitely had noticed her body becoming a little more voluptuous lately, but there's no way he was going to say that, especially not to her ex-boyfriends. "That's gross, man. Jackie's my friend, okay?"

Fez coughed in surprise. "You and Jackie are friends?"

"Yeah, I noticed you were being extra nice to her earlier," Hyde said. "When the hell did this happen?"

"Well, when you live with someone, you get to know them a little better," Eric stated. "And she's a little less insufferable than I thought."

Hyde smirked. "Oh no. She got you, too, Forman."

"Did not; not even close," Eric replied defensively. "She just… she doesn't have anybody, okay? And… this whole situation is, like, _really_ messed up."

"Could've been worse," Hyde said as he dropped some ash from the joint in the ashtray. "Could've been Kelso."

"I don't know, man," Eric responded. "I mean, Kelso's dumb, but he's not a bad dad. He definitely wouldn't have abandoned Brooke when that happened."

"Speaking of Kelso, does he know about this?" Fez asked. "I haven't talked to him lately."

Eric and Hyde shook their heads.

"I wonder how he's gonna feel about it," Eric thought aloud.


	7. Chapter 7

…

Jackie felt like the puking would never end. Eventually it did, but the retching didn't and neither did the nauseous feeling.

She tried hard to not be obnoxious, after all, this was pretty embarrassing, but she couldn't help it. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be upstairs, which helped her feel slightly better.

Tears stinging her eyes, she slumped down on the bathroom floor, clutching her stomach.

"Are you finally done?" she asked, looking down at it.

The queasiness appeared to subside mildly and she wondered if her baby had heard her, as if babies could control the flow of nausea their mothers felt. Mother. That's what she was now, although she didn't feel much like one. She just felt ill and exhausted.

She desperately wanted to brush her teeth but was worried that would only trigger the vomiting again so she settled with a bit of mouthwash. She swished, spit, and headed back to her room. It was seven in the morning, which meant that the Mr. and Mrs. Forman were eating breakfast and Eric had just gone to class. She could go lay in bed, guilt-free.

As Jackie lay peacefully on her back, she began to think about the baby some more. Would it be a girl or a boy? What would she name it? Would it hate her? Did it already, due to the nightmare her pregnancy had been thus far?

She started thinking of names. There was nobody to disagree with whatever she chose, which was quite possibly the only upside of doing this alone. All that came to her mind were girl names. She could hardly picture herself with a child, but she _really_ couldn't picture herself with a boy. Plus, baby girls had the cutest clothing options, including those little frilly socks that Jackie loved. Girls could manage with only their mothers. Boys, however, needed their fathers.

"Julia." She rested a hand on her stomach and looked down. She was always partial to 'J' names. "Is that what you're gonna be, a Julia?"

She sighed, feeling silly for talking out loud- it sort of felt like believing in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. However, she knew this baby was real and not make believe. She had gone to a few doctor's appointments, heard the heartbeat, and had noticed enough changes in her body to know that this was definitely no fictional character. This was her child.

Jackie closed her eyes and began to drift into a deep slumber.

About an hour and a half later, she awoke to her stomach fiercely growling with hunger, as her nausea had magically vanished. She sat up in bed, eager to go downstairs and eat some breakfast, but suddenly noticed a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast sitting on her dresser, along with a glass of orange juice. Jackie smiled to herself. Kitty was such a thoughtful person. She knew that Jackie wanted to keep to herself lately and she was being very respectful of that.

She wolfed down her breakfast and once she was done, she sat on her bed, feeling clueless as to what she should do next. She didn't want to leave this room, but she didn't want to be alone. She was also missing Donna a lot. The Formans were very supportive, even Red, but there were certain things that she just couldn't talk to them about.

Looking at her empty plate and feeling ashamed for being such a pig, Jackie decided to get properly dressed and made up, so she could at least give off the illusion of being confident. She had always been immensely insecure, but she also used to have a vast feeling of pride in herself that would surge randomly when she needed it to. Those days felt long gone. She had thought her insecurity had reached its peak when she realized she was alone and had no plans. However, between the fact that she was relying solely on a family that wasn't hers to support her _and_ the fact that she was knocked up and her body was beginning to change, her insecurity was going through the roof. Had any other girl been in this situation, Jackie would have deemed her a huge loser. Therefore, she felt like the biggest loser on the planet.

Jackie sighed but got up and opened her closet, searching vigorously for something to wear that would make her feel okay again. After a heavy debate with herself regarding a floral sundress (too dressy, she decided) or a sleeveless emerald cowl-neck sweater with jeans, she undressed and flung on the top. It wasn't too clingy and showed off her toned arms, which was exactly what she was going for. She grabbed a pair of jeans that were within reach and pulled them on, but when she realized she had to suck in her stomach to button them, she wanted to cry.

Throwing off the stupid pants and shirt, Jackie fought the urge to just throw her pajamas back on and never leave the damn room again. Clad only in her bra and panties, she went to her full-length mirror to inspect herself. If her pants weren't buttoning with ease, she had to be showing, right?

She frowned, as the only differences she could visibly see were her slightly enlarged breasts. She cupped them, actually enjoying the difference in them.

The door swung open.

"Jackie, I—" Eric's mouth dropped as he noticed that she was only in her bra and panties. "Sorry!" He slammed the door.

Jackie's jaw hung open for a moment. Why the hell would he just barge in there like that?

Then she realized her hands were still on her breasts. Oh, no. How awkward.

She hastily found a better-fitting pair of pants and threw them on, along with the green shirt. Feeling embarrassed, she fell back on her bed, replaying that moment in her head. God, why did he do that? Sure, they were friends now, but they weren't close enough to walk into each other's bedrooms when the door wasn't open.

She thought about what Eric saw, and then she began to think about what he could have felt. Mortified, sure, but did he feel anything else other than that?

Furiously blushing, Jackie grabbed a pillow and squeezed it hard, feeling ashamed to even be thinking something like that. Not only was Eric Forman _not_ her type, but she was also carrying another man's child. Now was not the time to get a silly crush on someone, especially not someone she lived with. This had to be pregnancy hormones making her libido increase or something.

The phone began to ring and she sprung up to answer it. Maybe it would actually be Nate this time. "Hello?" she eagerly asked.

"Jackie, what the hell?" Donna's voice echoed through the receiver.

Uh-oh. Did Donna somehow know what thoughts were running through her mind just moments before? How the hell did she do that?

"Donna." Jackie let out a deep breath.

"I just called the apartment and Fez told me that you live with the Formans now," Donna said, confusion evident in her voice. "Did you guys break up? Why didn't you call me?"

Jackie sighed again. "Yes, we broke up… and you were busy every other time I tried calling, so I just figured you wouldn't be able to talk." She tried to keep her voice steady. "Fez and I breaking up is now the least of my problems, though."

Donna listened to her friend's dramatic declaration, assuming the brunette was having a bad hair day or something. "So, did you break up with him or did he break up with you?"

"If you need to know, Donna, it was mutual," Jackie explained.

"Okay, so now you're living with Hyde and Eric?" Donna slightly giggled at the thought. "How is that going?"

Jackie groaned. "Don't you care about why the breakup is the least of my problems? Don't you even _care_ about what's going on in my life since you left?"

"Jackie, I just asked you a question about your life," Donna reminded her. "But apparently it wasn't the right one."

Jackie was silent.

"Okay, what's going on?" Donna inquired.

Jackie felt her chin begin to quiver and despite her attempts to quell it, she burst into tears. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Donna was clearly stunned. "Are you sure?"

"I've gone to a couple appointments already, so yeah," Jackie told her just before another sob escaped. "I'm eight weeks along."

"Well… Fez is being supportive, right?" Donna asked.

Jackie scoffed and wiped her nose with her wrist. "It's not Fez's!"

"Oh, God… not Hyde." Donna's voice became solemn.

"It's not Steven's, either!" Jackie responded.

"Jackie, I swear to God, if you say Kelso—" Donna began.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe it's someone you don't know?" Jackie asked, her voice laden with unease.

Donna was quiet for a moment. "Okay… so are you, like, dating him?"

Jackie's hands began to shake as she replayed her last conversation with Nate in her head. "We were," she told her friend. "But then I told him. Now he wants nothing to do with me… us." She lightly touched her stomach.

"God damn it, really?" Donna's voice became angry. "Tell me who the hell this guy is and I'll come there right now and kick his ass."

Jackie smiled sadly. She missed having a loyal friend like Donna around. "I'm just hoping that he comes around. Mrs. Forman said that he's probably just taking it in… not like that excuses anything, but it would definitely make things easier for me if he did come around sometime soon." She wiped another tear away. "I did really like him, too."

"Well, he sounds like a total dillhole," Donna replied. "I don't get it. You've always thought you were too good for anyone but then you settle for these dumbass guys. I guess that's kind of why I thought it might've worked out with Fez."

"Donna, I've dated the pretty-boy idiot, the burnout bad boy, and the sweet but effeminate foreigner. You act as though my taste in guys has been predictable," Jackie pointed out.

"Okay," Donna agreed. "But you're missing one. All of those 'types' you just stated are… pretty specific, but, Jackie, you just need to find yourself a _good_ guy. That's all."

"A good guy," Jackie echoed. Only one person came to her mind and she felt ashamed. "Well, it's too late for me now. I'm carrying a child and from now on, everything changes. Maybe I won't ever date again." She began to wallow in self-pity.

"Oh, shut up," Donna mumbled. "You're gonna be fine, okay? You're gonna meet that good guy, and if that other dude ever shows back up, you can tell him to shove it and live your happily ever after with said good guy and your baby. Right?"

Jackie appreciated her friend's optimism, but had to try really hard to sound positive when she responded back: "Right."


	8. Chapter 8

…

It was almost dinner and still no sign of Jackie.

Eric's face heated up again as he visualized a half-naked Jackie cupping her boobs for the hundredth time that day.

How the hell was he supposed to face her after that?

He had excitedly returned home from school after receiving a ticket for a free game of bowling, and he had thought that it would be the perfect excuse to get Jackie out of the house. She had been holed up in their residence for so long that he figured she would be willing to leave if there was something fun to do. When he had heard movement in her room, he just assumed it was safe to open the door. _Dumbass,_ Red's voice said, echoing through his head.

At least she wasn't naked, he thought, and then instantly regretted it when his brain by default tried to conjure up that image. His body reacted the way a man's body would, and he got frustrated, as dinnertime was not the time to… well, you know. Plus, this was Jackie Burkhart. Of course, she was beautiful, but she was never his type. He liked down-to-earth girls, although, the more he got to know Jackie, the more vulnerable and down-to-earth she was. Maybe if he and Jackie had met now instead of back in high school, things would be different.

But, no… they had a past, not to mention she was pregnant. She definitely couldn't be looking for anything, especially since she was pretty hung up on that Nate guy. He couldn't blame her, given the circumstances.

Half-naked Jackie flashed through his mind again.

Okay, so, yeah, she was definitely sexy. She had been wearing a lacy, pink bra with matching panties, a combination that seemed so… Jackie. Donna never wore matching undergarments; she usually just seemed to open a drawer and throw on whatever she grabbed first. However, Jackie wore a bra and panties that matched, even when she thought nobody would see them… how typically Jackie.

 _God, stop it._ Eric felt the need to smack himself in the head, but he refrained for fear that his father would walk in the living room to witness it, and Eric was not in the mood to hear any snarky comments from Red.

 _But… Jackie._ The image flew through his mind again. _Damn it._

 _Pregnant-with-another-man's-baby_ _Jackie._

He momentarily stopped feeling horny and instead began to feel sorry for the girl. Maybe the guy would never show up. Maybe Jackie would be stuck raising a kid on her own.

She had told him he'd make a good father.

 _Are we really doing this?_ Eric thought to himself. _Did one glimpse of Jackie in her underwear suddenly turn into some ridiculous fantasy where I'm raising her baby with her?_

Jackie must really have some sort of power over men, he figured. After all, Eric had witnessed what Jackie had done to every other guy in his group of friends. Now, suddenly, _he_ was thinking of her. How did she manage to do that?

"Eric!" Kitty's voice rang from the kitchen. "Will you go get Jackie? I just brought dinner home."

 _Oh, God._ He wasn't ready for this.

He cleared his throat. "Sure, Mom," he responded, and he could hear the nervousness in his voice.

Slowly, he ascended the staircase and stood behind Jackie's door for a few moments, trying to psych himself up to talk to her. Finally, he knocked.

"Yeah?" Jackie's voice asked. "You can open the door."

Eric opened the door at a leisurely pace, dreading the moment that she would be able to see that it was he who had knocked.

Once the door was opened, he stood in the doorway. Jackie was sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through a magazine. A bottle of blue nail polish sat on her nightstand, although Eric noticed her nails were still colored pink, as they were the last time he saw her. She glanced up, making eye contact with him.

"Oh, so you knock this time," Jackie commented, setting down the magazine.

Eric blushed. "Oh, yeah… sorry." Jackie stared at him, and he remembered why he was there. "Yeah, um… Mom just put dinner on the table."

"Okay," Jackie said, uncrossing her legs and standing up.

He remained standing in her doorway. "Um… you're probably wondering why I didn't knock."

An amused smile came to Jackie's face and Eric wondered if she had even felt the slightest bit embarrassed at the situation that had taken place just hours before.

"Some guy gave me a ticket for a free game of bowling," he uttered, and cleared his throat nervously. "I thought maybe you'd be interested."

"You barged into my room to tell me about bowling?" Jackie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I guess I was excited," Eric admitted. "I thought maybe you'd have fun if you got out of the house." He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled the ticket out, gently setting it on her dresser.

"Well, gee, Eric," Jackie began sarcastically, "Bowling by myself sounds lovely. I mean, first off, I'm wearing someone else's ugly shoes, and then—"

Eric cut her off. "No, I mean, I'd go with you."

Jackie gave him a quizzical look. "You'd go out in public with me?"

He smiled at how serious she sounded. "Well, yeah, as long as you'd go out in public with me. We're… friends, right?"

"I thought that was only limited to when we're under this roof," Jackie admitted. "I mean, you said—"

"That was a joke," Eric told her, and then grinned. "Come on, you're Jackie Burkhart. It'd be a total privilege to be seen with you. You're, like, one of the cool kids." Never in his life did he think he'd be trying to boost Jackie's ego, but here he was, feeling sympathetic and maybe even slightly more for the young woman.

A small smile appeared on Jackie's face and Eric felt pride bubble up inside of him, knowing he was the catalyst for that smile.

"Yeah… I know." The words she spoke sounded like the old Jackie, but her voice didn't sound nearly as confident now. She locked eyes with Eric, feeling grateful that she knew him. "Thank you. You've been so kind to me, Eric."

"You're welcome," Eric responded.

A moment of silence passed between them, and suddenly their tenderness toward each other became very apparent and they both felt a little uncomfortable, unsure what to do next.

"Well, um…" Jackie glanced at the open door behind Eric. "Guess we should go eat, huh?"

Eric nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

The pair headed downstairs to the kitchen to eat dinner.

Kitty had worked a long shift that day and, instead of opting to spend a solid hour or so cooking up a meal, she had brought home a bucket of fried chicken, which happened to be Red's favorite.

The family eagerly ate, and Eric was thankful that he no longer felt the embarrassment of what had happened earlier, despite the image still popping in his head every time he glanced at her, which made him blush.

"You're quiet," Red commented, scooping up some more coleslaw for his plate.

"Long day," Eric told him. "Lots of… information to take in during class today."

Red rolled his eyes. "For God's sake, Eric, you were there for, what, three hours?"

"Honey, he's taking accelerated courses," Kitty reminded her husband. "Get off his case."

"Thanks, Mom," Eric replied gratefully.

It was silent again for a minute, save for the sound of forks scraping on ceramic dinner plates.

"So, what do you two have planned tonight?" Kitty inquired, looking at Eric and Jackie.

"Why do you think we have plans?" Eric asked defensively, and Jackie cut him off.

"Actually, Eric is taking me bowling," she said, opening up her can of Diet Coke which gave a refreshing hiss.

"Oh, bowling, how nice of you Eric," Kitty commented.

"Yeah, well…" Eric side-glanced at Jackie and his eyes returned to his mother. "I figured she should get out of the house."

"He's right, you know," Kitty told the young woman. "I know things are a bit rough right now, but holing yourself up won't do you any good. You'll regret it when you're further along and don't even have the option of leaving."

Jackie bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I hadn't thought about that." She frowned at her plate. "I just don't want anyone to see me."

"Oh, honey, you don't even look pregnant," Kitty consoled. "Just… you two go out and have a good time, alright?"

"Sure," Jackie agreed, looking over at Eric to realize he was already staring at her. He quickly looked away and they each lightly blushed. Thankfully, neither the matriarch nor the patriarch of the Forman family noticed.

After dinner, Jackie made sure her makeup and hair were still in tact, and the pair went to Point Place's local bowling alley. She, thankfully, didn't see anybody she knew from high school during the time they spent there. Eric was being extra sweet to her, even opening her car door for her when they left.

"Wow, Michael never even did that for me," Jackie had commented, and then felt embarrassed.

"Well, Kelso, admittedly, is a man of many things, but I wouldn't exactly mark him down as a gentleman," Eric responded back.

When they returned home, Eric was hoping that they would have another session of watching television in the basement. However, Jackie was so exhausted that she had to go to bed the second they returned, which disappointed Eric. Before she went to her room for the night, though, she thanked Eric and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

He went to the basement by himself after that, cheeks burning as he wondered how the hell he was going to get over this stupid crush.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, so finally some actual Jackie/Eric action in this episode! Thanks for your reviews, especially those of you who have been keeping up with every chapter! Your encouraging words have definitely been keeping me inspired!**

…

"Leo, man… thanks for the ride," Eric said graciously as he stumbled out of Leo's car. He and Hyde had gotten lucky running into Leo just outside the bar they were at nearly an hour before. The pair had split nearly six pitchers of beer between the two of them and got way drunker than anticipated. Fez had been busy that night, and there was no way Eric was going to call Red for a ride. Fortunately, Leo usually happened to be in the right place at the right time, and this time he had a car.

"Man, you're just lucky I don't drink," Leo said, a silly grin on his face. "That stuff can really mess with you, you know."

"Yeah, sure." Eric laughed and shut the car door, heading towards the basement stairs for fear of running into his parents if they happened to still be awake.

He took each step slowly and carefully, still managing to nearly fall three times. A heavy sigh escaped him as he reached the bottom of the staircase, and he opened the door to be welcomed by the sight of Jackie, who appeared to have nodded off on the couch.

Eric drunkenly giggled. "Jackie." He poked her twice in the shoulder and she jolted awake.

"Oh… Eric, hey," Jackie sleepily greeted, and then she silently yawned.

"What are you doing down here?" Eric asked, and then he thought about it. He placed his hand on his heart. "Wait, were you waiting for me?"

" _No_ ," Jackie lied. She scooted over as Eric sat next to her, smelling very strongly of beer. "Wow, somebody's drunk."

Eric grinned, his eyes half-closed. "And it'd better not be you," he responded, lightly poking her barely protruding stomach and then let his hand remain on it. She flinched and he turned to face her, slumped down and leaning the side of his head on the back of the couch.

Jackie gave him a weird look. "Um, Eric."

"Right." He calmly removed his hand from her abdomen and set it beside him, unfazed.

"You look tired," Jackie told him, and he said nothing in response, just continued gazing up at her. "What?"

A drunken grin was plastered on Eric's face. "Jackie, that guy's such a bastard," he mumbled. "You should, like… give me his address and I'll go kick his ass."

A laugh escaped Jackie. "I appreciate the thought, but no way."

Eric heavily exhaled. "Thought I'd try to be chivalrous for once." His smile was still in tact. "He doesn't deserve you, anyway."

Jackie was surprised to hear him say that. "I know you're drunk, but do you really mean that?"

"Well, duh." He propped himself back up. "You're, like, Backie Jerkhart, right? You're beautiful and funny and… everything nice."

Jackie smiled at this; ignoring his slurring and feeling thankful that he actually saw her that way. "Thank you, Eric." She squeezed his shoulder and then leaned her head on him affectionately.

He looked down at her and grinned. "I thought you'd never do that again."

She lifted up her head and looked at him. "Do what?"

"Aw, damn," he muttered, becoming aware of the absence of her head on his shoulder. "I mean… I like when you rest your head on me."

Butterflies formed in Jackie's stomach upon hearing him say that.

"Your hair, like, _always_ smells nice," he added, realizing even in his drunken state that his last statement may have been a little beyond what platonic friends say to each other.

"Well…" Jackie put her head back on his shoulder. "There you go."

He grinned, feeling confident as he snaked his arm around her, which took her by surprise. "You know, you're gonna be okay, Jackie."

"Why do you think that?" she inquired. Her heart was beating rapidly at his touch.

"'Cause you're strong," Eric responded. "And you have… my family to help you out, you know."

"What about you?" Jackie boldly asked, unable to stop the words from spilling out of her mouth.

He lightly drummed his fingers from where they rested on her waist. "Of course you have me."

"Good," Jackie replied, feeling slightly satisfied. She scooted closer to him and he held her a little bit tighter.

"Damn… I think Hyde might be right," Eric thought aloud.

Jackie narrowed her eyes in confusion; her head still nestled between his neck and shoulder. "Right about what?"

"He keeps saying you got me, too, and I'm always, like, telling him no, but in my head I'm thinking, like, maybe, and now I'm thinking that yeah, he could be right." Eric went on, too drunk to realize how totally honest he was being.

Jackie smiled and felt like her heart was rising up into her throat upon hearing his words. "You're kind of cute when you ramble," she admitted, her face slightly flushing.

Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He looked over at his shoulder. "You think I'm cute?"

"Exclusively when you ramble," Jackie joked.

Eric felt his pulse increase even more as he pulled away from her and moved his arm, forcing her to lift her head up and look at him in confusion. He simply looked back at her.

"Jeez, I'm… sorry, Eric," Jackie apologized, feeling stupid for thinking she could get away with complimenting him in such a flirtatious way.

"No, Jackie, I…" Eric looked away from her for a moment. "I kinda really want to kiss you right now."

Jackie took a moment to process what he said. Heart pounding, she took his hand in hers, placing them interwoven in his lap. She leaned in and kissed his lips gently. It only lasted a few seconds, but Eric hungrily kissed back. When she pulled away, he looked at her in awe, suddenly feeling completely sober.

"That's one of those things I thought would never happen," he admitted, looking down at their still-intertwined hands.

"Same here," Jackie echoed, her eyes focused on the same thing.

They were silent for a moment until Eric softly put his hand behind her head and kissed her again, this time with more desire.

Jackie was eager to kiss back, gently cradling his jaw with one hand as his was still tightly gripping her hair. Eric was a much better kisser than she ever would have imagined, and she could've kept it going all the way to the finish line, but her libido was too strong and she didn't want this to be a night that either of them would regret. After about a minute of indulging herself, she slowly pulled away from him. "W-wait, Eric."

Eric stopped and felt slightly ashamed. This was the part where she asked him what the hell he thought he was doing, and he wasn't quite sure he had an answer.

"This is… really nice, don't get me wrong," Jackie said, looking bashful, "But my hormones are raging and I can't keep on going without absolutely torturing myself, ultimately."

"Really?" Eric asked in surprise. Jackie was actually horny?

"We're not going to do it," she told him firmly, even though her legs were trembling from the excitement.

"Yeah… I know," Eric told her, feeling a little awkward. "Um, sorry." He removed his arm that had been holding them close together.

"No, I'm sorry." Jackie leaned back into the couch, wondering what the hell all of this meant, but she definitely wasn't going to ask him and risk pushing yet another man away. "You're… you're just drunk."

Eric smiled at her in amusement. "Well, that may be, but that's not why I did it."

"…you sure?" Jackie asked him, concerned.

He nodded back at her and she snuggled into him, feeling more comfortable. He replaced his arm, putting it around her.

"Oh, Eric, I'm just such a mess," Jackie mumbled. "You would be stupid to want anything to do with me at this point."

"Call me stupid, then," Eric replied gently. He lightly kissed her hair and the two fell asleep on the couch shortly after.


	10. Chapter 10

…

"Eric!" Kitty's voice echoed into the basement. "Eric!"

He slowly opened his eyes and found Jackie still cuddled up beside him. He gently got up and lightly nudged her, hoping his mother wouldn't come downstairs.

Jackie mumbled something and quickly inhaled as her eyes opened. She looked at Eric with tired eyes and gave him a small smile.

"Eric, are you down there?" Kitty asked again.

"Yeah, Mom!" Eric called up to her. He crouched down so his face was level with Jackie's. "Sorry about that, I didn't want to wake you, but I didn't want her coming down here either." His voice was soft, being respectful of her freshly awoken state.

Jackie nodded, sitting up as she tried to stretch her neck. "Ugh, I shouldn't ever sleep sitting up like that." She looked back at Eric. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just about a minute or so," Eric replied. "I heard her calling my name."

"Oh." Jackie thought back to the previous night and suddenly felt a little shy being alone in his company yet again. "Well, um, I'm hungry, so I guess I'll go upstairs."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Eric agreed, watching her stand up. He bit his lip and lightly took her hand, surprising her. "Hey, um, maybe we should keep what happened last night to ourselves for now."

Jackie exhaled in relief. He remembered. "Yeah, that's cool." She nodded as she said the words and slipped her hand out of Eric's, heading toward the staircase.

They both went upstairs and saw Red sitting at the kitchen table and an apron-clad Kitty standing over a serving plate of pancakes.

"Well, there you are," Kitty commented. "Now, what were you two doing in the basement so early?"

Jackie took control of the situation at hand. "Well, Eric must have came home drunk off his ass last night and passed out on the couch," she explained, sitting down at the table. "I noticed his bedroom door was open when I got up and got concerned."

Kitty grimaced at the "drunk-off-his-ass" comment and set the pancakes in the middle of the table. "Well, I'm so glad that you two seem to finally be getting along," she commented, smiling at her son. "That only took about five years."

Jackie bit her lip and slid her fork under two pancakes, gracefully guiding them onto her plate.

Eric said nothing and simply poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"What?" Kitty asked at their lack of a response. "Aren't you two friends now?" She joined them at the table and looked between the pair.

"Kitty, just let it go before he ruins it," Red commented. He glanced at his son. "You do have a way of ruining things, you know."

"Okay, well, Jackie and I didn't even really know each other before now," Eric said defensively. "It's not like we hated each other."

"Oh, that's nonsense; you two were at each other's throats the entire first week she moved in," Kitty pointed out.

Jackie made sure that her mouth was full so she wouldn't have the option of speaking.

"Yeah, well… God, I have a headache," Eric said in response as he squinted his eyes, eager to change the subject. "Did I mention I got drunk last night?"

Red smirked, his mouth full, as Kitty shot Eric a look of disapproval.

"I was hoping to just skip over that fact," she admitted. "But I guess you didn't do much of that while you were in Africa, so… just don't make this a habit."

"How the hell did you get home last night?" Red inquired, suddenly acquiring more of an interest in the conversation.

"Leo," Eric stated. "We ran into him outside the bar."

"So you just left the Cruiser in the parking lot of a damn bar?" Red asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, honey, what do you want him to do? Die in a horrific car crash because he was driving under the influence?" Kitty asked, looking appalled. She gently patted her son's hand. "You did the right thing, Eric. Jackie can take you to pick up your car after breakfast, right?" She looked at the brunette girl sitting beside her.

Jackie set her fork down on her nearly empty plate. "Um, yeah. I can do that." She swallowed.

"There you go," Kitty said, eyeing her husband, and then looking back at Jackie. "How have you been feeling, sweetie? Is the nausea getting any better?"

Eric shifted in his seat; the topic of Jackie's pregnancy now making him slightly uncomfortable.

"I think it's getting a little better," Jackie responded. "I just wish I could get myself to stop eating so much."

"Now, Jackie, it's normal for a woman your size to put on twenty-five to thirty pounds during a pregnancy," Kitty told her. "I should know; I'm a nurse."

Jackie scowled at the thought of putting on more weight, remembering she wasn't even at the end of her first trimester yet.

"Have you begun to show?" Kitty inquired. "I haven't noticed, but you're far along now where you could be."

"A little," Jackie said, protectively putting a hand on her stomach and quickly glancing at Eric, who was solely focused on eating.

"You know, a woman's body can go through lots of changes during her first pregnancy," Kitty stated. "For one, your breasts start to swell early on, and—"

"Mom!"

"Kitty!"

Eric's mouth hung open as Red gave his wife a disapproving look.

"We don't need to talk about those types of things at the breakfast table," Red said sternly.

Jackie blushed, glancing at Eric again, and this time their eyes met.

"Um, Jackie, I'm done if you're ready to go," Eric offered, eager to escape whatever his mother had to say next.

"Yeah, sure." Jackie stood up and grabbed her purse off the counter. "Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Forman!"

She hurried out the door and went to her car. Eric quickly joined her, attempting to catch his breath as they fastened their seatbelts.

"Sorry about my mom," Eric apologized, feeling weird.

"It's fine," Jackie told him, starting up the car. "She's just trying to help."

Eric began drumming his fingers on his leg nervously as she backed out of the driveway.

"So where is this bar?" Jackie asked him, noticing his tenseness.

"About ten minutes out," Eric replied. "I'll tell you which way to go once we hit the main road."

It was silent for a moment until Jackie turned on the radio. 'Fire' by the Pointer Sisters was playing, which only seemed to make the situation more awkward.

A million questions that she was dying to ask raced through Jackie's head.

"Is the fact that I'm pregnant a deal breaker?" she wanted to ask. "Is this going anywhere? Are we ever going to tell anyone what happened?"

Instead, she stayed silent until Eric finally told her the next road to turn onto.

"So, you feel better after last night?" she finally asked, and blushed. "After all the drinking, I mean."

"I don't feel terrible," Eric admitted. He let out a deep breath, feeling relieved that they were finally talking. He was not about to let the conversation dry up now, not while the Pointer Sisters were still belting out lyrics that seemed to only be about a hot make-out session. "Thanks for, uh, waiting up for me."

Jackie bit her lip and shrugged, her eyes focused on the road ahead of her. "I was bored… was hoping you wouldn't be out too late."

"Yeah… sorry about that," Eric commented.

"You apologize an awful lot for someone who hasn't done anything wrong," Jackie pointed out. "Must be from all the overreacting Donna used to do." She heard the words fall out of her mouth and gave a little gasp. Why on Earth would she bring up Donna? What was she going to _tell_ Donna? And _would_ she ever tell Donna?

Eric faked a little laugh. "Yeah, maybe." He sighed again. "You know, I don't want to talk about Donna," he admitted.

Jackie felt her heart drop a little bit. Of course he wouldn't want to talk about Donna. He was probably still hung up on her.

"Yeah, um, I don't blame you," Jackie quickly replied. "Sorry."

"See, now you're the one apologizing," Eric pointed out as he cracked a smile, trying to ease the tension. "Right."

"Yeah… right," Jackie agreed.

"No," Eric told her, just as they missed the turn. "Right." He pointed to the street they were supposed to turn down.

"Damn it," Jackie muttered. She exhaled heavily, feeling stupid as she found a place to turn around.

Sensing Jackie's discomfort made his own discomfort disappear, and he suddenly felt the urge to comfort her, as she seemed distressed. Once she made the U-turn, he gently rested his hand above her knee. She initially tensed up at his touch, but then relaxed. The butterflies were back with a vengeance, but she tried to stay focused on the road.

She turned where she was originally supposed to, and noticed a bar on the left side of the road. "This it?"

"Yeah."

She turned into the lot and spotted the Vista Cruiser, pulling her car into the spot next to it and shifting into park. She looked over at Eric, whose hand was still on her lower thigh.

His eyes had been focused on the floor, but he finally looked up at her.

"Eric…" Jackie's voice sounded weak.

"Yeah?"

He gave her a concerned look and she bit her lip. Eric noticed the look of sorrow in her eyes and wondered what exactly she was upset about, but he knew she had plenty of reasons.

"Come here." He leaned over and embraced her. She tightly held onto him, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She didn't want him to go to his stupid car. She didn't want him to go, ever, but she knew that he would. He had a whole life ahead of himself while she had a baby on the way.

Eric gently caressed her hair. "It's okay… everything's okay."

His words soothed her for the time being and she was able to hold back the tears that had been threatening to fall.

He slowly pulled away from her. "Jackie…" He looked closely at her face, as they were only inches apart. "Your lip's quivering." He looked sad upon noticing how close she was to tears. "We can't have that." Eric slowly leaned in and kissed her, more tenderly this time.

She kissed him back for a moment before tearing herself away. "No, no, we can't do this."

The words stung, and Eric looked wounded. "Why not?"

"Because what's the point, Eric?" Jackie laughed bitterly as one tear escaped her eye. "You have a good life, a future ahead of you, meanwhile I… well, we know what my future holds." She sighed. "This is really nice and everything, but… well, what's the damn point?"

Feeling hurt, Eric took her hand in his. "Do you think I'm just fooling around, Jackie?"

"Well, maybe, I mean, you were drunk as hell last night," Jackie admitted. "But even if you aren't, you aren't equipped for this. Hell, _I'm_ not equipped for this, but at least this is a consequence of my own actions."

"You know, ever since you moved in, I've been feeling this way about you," Eric revealed, caressing her fingers. "You're so much different than I thought you were. I care about you, Jackie. I wanna be there for you." He paused. "Yeah, I was drunk, but there was so much more to it than that."

"Yeah, well you're better off without me," Jackie argued. "You'll realize that sooner or later and I can't handle another person leaving."

Eric tightly squeezed her hand and looked her square in the eyes. "Jackie… _I'm not leaving._ "

Jackie listened to his words and could tell he was being sincere. She looked down at their hands and then back up at him. "Do you promise?"

"I can't promise you that we'll ultimately work out, but I promise that I'll try," he told her earnestly. "I promise that I won't break your heart… that I'll always be there for you." He glanced down at her stomach. "Both of you." He paused. "I promise… I'm not gonna leave."

Jackie wiped her eyes and began to laugh lightly, shaking her head at the situation. "You're saying all of this to me after a few stupid kisses?"

"They weren't stupid," Eric said defensively. "And to be fair, I've had time to think about it. Why do you think the car ride was so silent?" He cracked a smile and she smiled back.

"Thank you," Jackie told him. "You're really good cheering me up, you know that?"

"I'll do you one better," Eric replied with a smile, leaning in for a kiss.

Their lips met and a knocking was heard on the window.

"Well, well, well, lover boy," Hyde's voice boomed from outside. "Called it."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: While this chapter isn't necessarily explicit enough to get an M rating, I just thought I'd give you guys a head's up that there is a bit more sexual content in this chapter than what has been in the story thus far. Thank you for your reviews! Keep them coming!**

…

Eric flung the car door open and jumped out, now being faced with one of his oldest friends, not to mention Jackie's former beau. "Hyde! What are you doing here?"

"Picking up the Camino," Hyde said. "I was here last night, too, remember?"

"Um… yeah," Eric stuttered.

Hyde grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him behind the Vista Cruiser. "Hey, man, what the hell do you think you're doing? That's _Jackie_ , okay?"

"Yeah, well… you were joking about it, Hyde," Eric pointed out. "You can't be mad."

"A joke's a joke," Hyde stated. "And I'm not mad… but, Forman, she's pregnant, okay? Plus, she and Fez only broke up, like, a few months ago."

"Like you're one to talk," Eric said defensively. "You married a stripper right after you two broke up."

Hyde rolled his eyes from behind his sunglasses. "That's old news, okay? It's not the point."

"Alright, fine, I know," Eric told him flatly. "Listen, it's not like I planned for this to happen, okay? It pretty much all started last night, and—"

"I don't need to hear the whole story," Hyde interrupted, shaking his head. "It's just… man, you've watched her make her way through the three of us, get knocked up by another dude, and you're still going for it?"

Eric shook his head at his friend. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"I just thought you knew better, man," Hyde muttered. "I mean, you do this now and you've gotta be in for the long haul. I know that Jackie and I don't really get along anymore, but I don't think she can handle another dude bailing on her, and I don't wanna kick your ass."

Eric gave him a surprised look. "You'd do that for her?"

"Well, yeah," Hyde said casually, shrugging as he looked around. "She may be a bitch, but I mean, she's pregnant, y'know. I don't want her getting hurt any more than she already has been."

"Well, you don't have to kick my ass, okay?" Eric told him. "'Cause I care about her, and… I'm not gonna hurt her."

Hyde studied Eric's face. "My God, you actually mean it." He paused. "I know I made some stupid jokes or whatever, but I honestly never thought that you two would get together. I never even thought you two could be real friends."

Eric shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, we've gotten a lot closer since she moved in."

"Looks like it," Hyde commented. He glanced over at Jackie's car and then back at Eric. "Your parents know?"

"No," Eric admitted, shaking his head. "This is… relatively new."

"Okay, well… I'm serious," Hyde said. "I know Jackie's hot and fun to fool around with and everything, but—"

Eric shook his head again, an uncomfortable smile on his face. "I-I get it, Hyde. I'm not going to hurt her… but maybe ix-nay on the talk about your… encounters with her from now on. It's just weird now, and I don't really want to think about it."

Hyde smiled. "You're a good guy, Forman." He patted his friend on the arm and walked to his El Camino.

…

Jackie and Eric returned home, each in their own cars, and instantly went down to the basement.

"Was Steven nice?" Jackie inquired, sitting on the couch next to Eric.

Eric smiled. "Yeah, you know… he cares about you, Jackie, believe it or not. He told me he'd kick my ass if I hurt you."

Amused, Jackie beamed at the thought. "Really? I thought he hated me now."

"He's gotta keep up his tough-guy act," Eric told her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Listen, we'll tell my parents soon, okay?" He paused, a sheepish look appearing on his face. "It is kind of fun having a dirty little secret with you, though."

"See?" Jackie replied, grinning. She absentmindedly rested her hand on her tiny belly, and Eric watched her as he began to think of the future. This was real, and this was happening. It all began to hit him. He wasn't going to freak out –he knew better than to do that by now—but he could hardly believe it. The girl he had feelings for was going to have a baby in a little over six months.

"Um…" Eric felt nervous, as the topic on his mind seemed like a weird one for new lovers to discuss. "So… that guy."

Jackie gave him a confused look and then realized what he meant. "What about him, Eric?"

"Do you… like, are you over him?" Eric asked, feeling his face heat up a little bit.

Jackie thought about it and nodded. "At this point, it's pretty clear what type of person he is," she admitted. "We weren't together for very long, and… I don't know; the whole thing was just stupid."

Eric took a deep breath. "So… if he came back, would you—"

Jackie snorted. "I'd tell him to hit the road."

"You mean that," Eric said, but it came off more like a question.

"I do," Jackie replied earnestly. "I don't need him." Pause. "I don't need anybody," she added, lying. "But I'm glad I have you."

Eric smiled at the sentiment, but continued thinking. "So your kid… it's just not gonna have a dad?"

Jackie shrugged. "Maybe… I don't know." She felt a little embarrassed as the words came out.

He rested his hand on top of hers, which was still atop her tiny baby bump. He didn't say anything because no words came to his mind, but he figured the gesture said enough. He lightly caressed her fingers as his other hand, which was draped over her shoulder, moved to the back of her head as he tenderly stroked her hair.

Jackie felt her heart melt. She had no idea Eric could be so affectionate. She never saw him and Donna do anything beyond kiss, save for a few gentle handholding sessions early on in their relationship.

"Eric," she suddenly said. He untangled his hand from her hair and looked at her, noticing her unease. "You're sure?"

A small laugh escaped Eric. "Yes, Jackie." He tapped his fingers on her tummy. "I'm sure."

He leaned in to give her a sweet kiss on the lips.

She surprised him by deepening it, moving her hand behind his head and lightly running her fingers through his short hair.

They passionately continued and Eric, whose hand was resting on her knee, began to move his hand to her upper thigh. Jackie's heart began to race and she moved her other hand to his leg as well, gently caressing the very top of his thigh with her thumb.

Eric felt his entire body stiffen (yes, everything) as he began furiously crashing his lips into hers, lightly pushing her back into the couch so she was lying down. He was on top of her now, and he began to feel Jackie slipping her small, sweet tongue into his mouth. He lightly sucked on it, and aggressively pushed his tongue against hers.

By now, she was gripping the cloth on the back of his shirt, feeling incredibly turned on, especially because she could now feel the stiffness in his pants up against her leg. She began to tease him, stroking it over his jeans with her thumb.

Without giving it a second thought, he briefly stopped kissing her to quickly pull her shirt over her head. His hands roamed to her breasts, which were nearly bursting out of what could easily have been the lacy black bra that he had felt so ashamed touching a month or so before. He felt her up, hungrily kissing her, and then began planting sweet, tiny kisses down her chin, all the way down her neck, and then continuing to kiss her breasts.

She slid one arm out of her bra strap, indicating that it was okay for him to take it off.

He eagerly unhooked it, running his fingers tenderly around her upper back for a moment as he gave her a long, romantic kiss. Pulling away, he studied her face for a moment as she looked back at him with curious, wide eyes.

"God, you're beautiful, Jackie," he muttered, and brought his face back down to her breasts, kissing around them as his hands roamed nearby.

He slid his hand down her smooth stomach to the waistband of her sweatpants, desperate to pull them off as she attempted to unbutton his jeans, but the denim around the nook that the button was tucked into was too stiff.

"Eric!" Jackie cried, tugging on his jeans again as she giggled. "Can you help me? I'm desperate."

He quickly pulled off her sweatpants and then unbuttoned his own jeans, taking them off as well as his shirt.

Jackie took a moment to admire his physique while she slid off her panties. He did the same with his underwear, and finally they succumbed to the pleasure that their bodies had been so frantically desiring.

Hearts pounding, they continued for nearly a half hour until they finished.

They quickly dressed themselves, suddenly aware of the open space that they were in, and collapsed back onto the couch together.

"That was… amazing," Jackie admitted, trying to catch her breath. "You know, Michael never lasted more than five minutes."

Eric cracked a grin. "That's… more than I needed to know, but I can't blame the guy."

"Sorry," Jackie replied, giggling. She leaned into him and he protectively put an arm around her. "Oh, Eric." She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted.

"You gonna fall asleep?" Eric asked her.

"Maybe," she admitted.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that I'm gonna be more like a human mattress to you than a boyfriend," he replied with a grin, and his face turned a little red.

Jackie opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Boyfriend, huh?" She noticed his embarrassment and found it sweet, giving him a soft kiss on his jawline.

He squeezed her a little tighter. "Yup."

She placed her head back on him and began to drift into sleep. Eric flipped the TV on and kept the volume low, so not to disturb her. Nearly twenty minutes had passed, and Jackie was still fast asleep in Eric's arms. He felt as though he were almost ready for a nap as well, until the basement door opened and Red Forman walked in. He spotted the two of them, and Eric looked at his father, wide-eyed.

Red saw Eric's arm around Jackie's waist and her head on his shoulder. "Aw, crap!"


	12. Chapter 12

…

Jackie, upon hearing Red, woke up and gasped, removing herself from Eric's arm and moving to the other side of the couch.

"D-d-dad, it's not what it looks like," Eric stuttered, unsure what exactly to say.

"Yeah, that's why you sound so calm," Red commented. "What the hell is the matter with you? The last thing that girl needs right now is someone like you!"

Jackie opened her mouth to speak, but Eric spoke first.

"No, Dad, I'm not gonna let you lecture me about this," he said sternly.

"Oh really?" Red inquired sarcastically.

"Yeah, okay?" Eric stood up to face his father. "I know that this is gonna receive some backlash, and I get it, but… I know her now, alright?" He looked over at Jackie and then at his father. "I care about her. She's… she's wonderful and yeah, I'll say it before you do, I don't deserve her, but… she needs somebody right now."

"And you think you're going to be able to help her with all of this," Red responded, raising his eyebrows. He shook his head and sighed. "I'm happy that you both are getting along, but this is going a little far, don't you think?"

"Mr. Forman, if you don't mind," Jackie said, standing up. "Um, Eric has been so helpful and supportive and great to me since I moved in, and… I believe him when he says he cares about me." She stood half-behind Eric and held onto his arm.

Red groaned. "How you keep getting these girls is beyond me," he muttered, and looked at Jackie. "Jackie, you're going through a lot right now, and, uh, I know it's easy to think that maybe this is the right thing right now, but…"

"Dad, she wants to be with me," Eric interrupted, placing an arm around Jackie. "And I want to be with her. This _is_ right for us, and not just for the time being."

Red looked at the two of them for a moment and sighed. "Alright. You two have your minds made up, and you're adults." He cleared his throat. "But, Eric, what are you going to do if the father comes back?"

"No," Jackie said, shaking her head. "He's out of the picture. Even if he changed his mind, he's not worthy of me and my baby."

"And Eric is?" Red asked in disbelief, watching his son protectively pull the young brunette closer to him.

"Yes, Mr. Forman," Jackie stated plainly. "He is completely worthy, if he's willing."

"And I am willing," Eric told his father, who looked stunned. "Dad, I love her."

Jackie looked up at him in shock. She turned to face him. "You love me?"

"Yeah, I do," Eric said, putting her hands in his. "I've known you forever, but I didn't actually know you. Now that I do… I love you, Jackie."

"I…" Jackie looked at him in awe. "I love you, too."

Red grunted, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I'm going to… go tell your mother about all of this."

"Okay," Eric responded, never taking his eyes off of the brunette before him. Red went up the stairs and Eric squeezed Jackie's hands, which were still in his own. "Jackie, I… I really want this to work out."

"I do, too," she admitted. "But there are a lot more people that are inevitably going to find out and be against this."

"I don't care about that," Eric said, dropping her hands and enveloping her in an embrace. She clung onto him and sighed contentedly. When they broke apart, Eric guided her to the couch and they both sat down. "When Donna and I broke up… I thought I'd never get over her. She had been a constant in my life for so long." He looked at her and smiled. "But so were you… and here you are, and… I don't want to be without you."

Jackie gave him a small smile. "I don't want to be without you, either." She grabbed his arm and put it around her, snuggling into him. He grinned at her, kissing the top of her head.

Quick footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.

"You two are together?" Kitty asked, looking surprised as she stood in front of them. She noticed their positions on the couch and she broke out into a big smile. "You're in _love_?"

Eric gave his mother a shy smile. "Yeah… we are." He clasped his hand on Jackie's waist.

"Oh my God, and there I was thinking you two would never get along," Kitty replied, adoring the way they looked together. Then, she noticed Eric's hand, which was resting on Jackie's little baby bump. Kitty remembered the circumstances and tried to quell her excitement a bit. "Now, this is a very big deal… I hope you two are serious."

"We already told Dad how serious we are," Eric told her. "And even if you guys don't believe me… I don't care, okay?"

"No, no, honey," Kitty quickly responded. "I believe you." The excitement resurfaced and she grinned. "Oh, you two together is just the cutest darn thing."

Eric chuckled. "I'm glad you're okay with it, Mom."

"I mean… we definitely have some talking to do," Kitty told her son, giving him a serious look. "But… well, this is just the nicest surprise!" She ran behind the couch, kissing them each on the top of the head, and then scurried upstairs.

Eric grinned. "Thank God… all I want is a little privacy with you."

"I know," Jackie agreed, leaning on him again, just as the door opened, revealing Kelso.

"Eric, I'm back, and—" Kelso glanced at the pair that were sitting on the couch together and laughed. "What the hell are you guys doing, man?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "We've gone through this _way_ too many times today." She stood up. "Eric and I are together, okay, and we don't care if you have a problem with it."

"Oh… okay," Kelso responded, seeming slightly distracted. "Hey, Jackie, what's with the boobs?"

Eric stifled laughter as Jackie self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest.

"Michael, I'm pregnant," she told him.

Kelso's eyes widened in fear, and then confusion took over his face. "Wait, you and Eric are having a baby?"

Jackie sighed. "No, some idiot got me pregnant and bailed on me, and now that we've been living together, Eric and I have… started dating."

Kelso shot Eric a weird look. "Even though she's knocked up?"

"Yes, Kelso," Eric responded flatly.

"Wow, Eric, that's… how noble of you," Kelso admitted, and then his face grew a bit concerned. "Wait, who's the idiot?"

"You don't know him, Michael," Jackie replied.

"Oh… good." Kelso sat down in the chair nearest to the door. "So where's Hyde and Fez?"

"Probably at their apartment," Eric told him as Jackie rejoined him on the couch.

Kelso looked at them in surprise. "Man, is anything the same as it was when I left?"

Eric shrugged. "Red's still a hardass."

Kelso chuckled. "Well, yeah." He looked over at his ex-girlfriend. "So, Jackie, if you need any tips on bein' a parent, you can always ask me, you know."

"Thanks," Jackie told him, "But I think being a mother and being a father are a little bit different. Don't you only see Betsy on the weekends?"

"Yeah, well, Brooke's been lettin' me watch her during the week when I don't work," Kelso replied defensively. "Brooke's been taking college classes 'cause she wants to get her master's."

Eric tried not to laugh at the irony of how smart Kelso's co-parent was. "So… everything's gone okay with Betsy, then?"

"Yeah, I mean, she gets into stuff a lot, but I mean that's just what a baby does," Kelso said.

"Well, you keep a close eye on her, don't you?" Jackie inquired.

"Yeah!" Kelso replied, sounding offended. "But, like, even if I didn't, my apartment is totally baby-proof."

"So you're telling me you don't have any bottle rockets at your place?" Eric asked in disbelief.

Kelso looked sheepish. "Well… I mean, they're in the drawer, and… Betsy's only like, a foot and a half tall, so…"

"Michael!" Jackie scolded. "You don't need bottle rockets when you have a baby around!"

"Well, damn, Jackie!" Kelso responded. "She's not always around!"

"Just… promise me you don't have a gun anymore," Jackie said slowly, giving her ex-boyfriend a serious look.

"No, I learned my lesson there," Kelso agreed, laughing to himself. "Wait, unless you mean a B.B. gun."

Eric raised his eyebrows. "Kelso, if you're gonna have those kinds of things in your house, you should get a safe."

"It _is_ safe," Kelso whined.

"No, a safe," Eric repeated. "Where you put all of your valuable and/or dangerous items and you lock it." He leaned towards Jackie and lowered his voice. "And then forget the code."

Jackie suppressed her smile and looked back at Kelso. "Yeah, if Betsy's at your place a lot, you need to make things safer. You don't want anything to happen to her, right?"

"No way!" Kelso grimaced at the thought. "If anything ever happened to her, I would just die."

Jackie touched her stomach and thought about how she would feel once her baby was born.

Kelso noticed. "Jackie, you're gonna be a good mom. I mean, you always kept me in check."

"Tried to," Eric corrected him.

Jackie bit her lip and smiled at Kelso. "Thanks, Michael. I really hope so."

"And Brooke still has a ton of baby stuff that Betsy doesn't really need anymore," he added. "I can ask her if I can bring it to you."

Normally Jackie would hate the thought of using hand-me-downs, especially from her ex, but she didn't have much money coming in these days and the alternative was having the Formans provide her with everything she needed. "Really? Wow, thank you."

"Yeah, and if it's a girl we can give you all of her old clothes," Kelso told her. "I mean, you got her some of the stuff so it's not like you won't like it."

Jackie beamed. "So true. I'm not having her wear any cheap fabric, though… I'm not going to risk her breaking out in a rash and looking ugly."

Eric turned and looked at Jackie. "Her?"

"I'm just guessing," Jackie said, shrugging. "She feels like a girl."

"How far along are you?" Kelso inquired, curious.

"Eleven weeks now," Jackie told him. "After next week I'm done with my first trimester."

Kelso looked confused. "Well, damn, Jackie, I didn't know you were going to school, too."

Jackie and Eric rolled their eyes.

…


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Happy New Year! So, I broke my streak of updating every day… I've been really insanely busy with work and these last few days it's caught up with me and, well, I've been exhausted by the time I get home. I finally get a couple days off now, so expect a few updates between now and Friday. This chapter is kind of filler; I'm mostly trying to spread time out so I'm not skipping too much. Anyways, please read and review! Thanks!**

…

"Jackie!"

Jackie groaned and rolled over, turning her head so she faced the digital clock on her nightstand. It read eleven thirty-seven. Why the hell would Mrs. Forman be waking her up right now? She didn't have another doctor's appointment for two weeks, and she was now fifteen weeks into her pregnancy; she needed her rest, no matter how late it was.

Three rapid knocks were heard on her door.

"What is it, Mrs. Forman?" Jackie asked, trying not to sound too cranky.

Kitty cracked the door open and peeked in. "There's someone on the phone for you," she said softly, her voice serious.

Jackie abruptly sat up. Who would be calling her right now?

Oh, God. It had to be Nate.

Fuming, Jackie picked up the receiver, eager to tell off the man who had abandoned her nearly three months prior.

"Yeah?"

"Jackie, sweetie." Pam Burkhart's voice was gentle and Jackie sat in shock for a moment, unsure what to say to her mother.

"Mom… why are you calling?" Jackie finally inquired. "How did you even know I was here?"

"Well, to be honest, Kitty Forman called me," Pam admitted. "She thought I should know exactly what was going on in your life right now."

Jackie was stunned. Kitty had gone behind her back and called her _mother_ , of all people.

"Okay, so what?" Jackie asked. "Do you even care? It's not like you're going to come back."

"Now, how can you say that?" Pam asked, sounding offended. "Of course, I care… and I would come back if… well, if I was able to."

"And what's stopping you, exactly?" Jackie asked, irritated.

"Well…" Pam stopped nervously for a moment. "Funds, for one."

"So you're telling me you _don't_ have a rich boyfriend?" Her mood swings were still in full-force, and the bitchiness was very evident in her voice.

" _Honey_ ," Pam responded calmly. She cleared her throat. "Okay, to be frank, our family still owes quite a bit of money to the government and the house and all of our possessions didn't cover it." She sighed, and Jackie could just picture her mother fiddling with her long hair, deep in thought. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to cross the border without getting caught, Jackie."

"Isn't that Daddy's problem, not yours?" Jackie asked.

"Technically, no," Pam admitted. "We're married, and… well, it has _become_ my problem." She paused. "I would be more than happy to have Pablo buy you a plane ticket so you can come visit, and—"

"No, Mom, hold on," Jackie stated. "So… are you saying you're never coming back?"

Pam was silent.

"Mom… please, say something," Jackie pleaded, now becoming emotional.

"Well… _of course_ I'll come back," Pam assured her, but Jackie could sense the ingenuity in her voice. "It just… it's going to take some time."

Jackie's lip began to tremble. "When is Daddy getting out?"

"The judges said ten years," Pam said, her voice solemn.

Tears began streaming down Jackie's face.

"But, sweetie, they never keep them in that long," Pam assured her. "Between your father's connections and his good behavior, I'd say four more years… probably."

Jackie was freely crying now, but there was no way she was going to let her mother know that.

"Okay," Jackie mumbled, trying to keep her voice under control. "So… what was the point of all of this?"

"Point of what?" Pam asked.

"This phone call!" Jackie snapped. "Why did you even need to talk with me?"

Pam softly exhaled into the phone. "Because I love you, Jackie… and if you really are… pregnant… I just want you to know I understand, and I'm here for you." She paused. "I know how hard it is to let your body change like that. God knows that's why I never opted to do it a second time."

Jackie snorted. It's true that that was something Jackie had been concerned about, but for God's sake, shouldn't her mother offer more than just that?

"Okay," Jackie responded, no longer interested in arguing. She mostly just wanted to get off the phone as quickly as possible.

"The father really up and left?" Pam inquired.

"Yes," Jackie said flatly. "But… I'm seeing someone now; someone who is willing to take care of me and my child."

Pam took a moment to process the information. "Well, that's awful lucky. I'm happy for you, Jackie. You're going to do just great."

"Yeah… thanks." Jackie sighed heavily and heard a knock on her door. She knew by the knock that it had to be Eric. "Listen, I… have to get ready for a doctor's appointment."

"Okay, sweetie," Pam replied. "I love you, okay?"

"Love you, too." Jackie hung up the phone. "You know you don't exactly have to knock anymore."

Eric entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "Sorry, it just got ingrained into my head after that one time," he admitted, cracking a smile. He joined her on the bed. "I heard your mom called."

"No," Jackie scoffed, "Your mom called her and told her to talk to me."

"Oh." Eric grabbed her hand and held it between both of his. "I'm sorry… she shouldn't be doing things like that."

"No… it's okay," Jackie admitted, to both Eric and herself. "It's only because she cares." She sniffed. "At least someone does."

"Hey, hey." Eric set her hand down and enveloped her in his arms. "I care… you know I care."

"Of course I know that you care," Jackie stated. "Your whole family does, and that's… that's amazing. I just wish that my family cared." She began to weep. "My mom… she's never coming back."

"She said that?" Eric asked in disbelief.

"She didn't have to," Jackie replied, stifling a sob. "Although she pretty much did." She curled up on the bed and pushed Eric back with her so she could snuggle into him. "My baby is never going to know its grandparents."

Eric tightly squeezed her shoulder with his arm that was wrapped around her as he stared at the ceiling, unsure of what he could say to make her feel better. Her family was seriously horrible, and he knew that if it weren't for him and his family, she would be completely alone.

"Don't leave me, Eric," she whispered, as though she could read his mind. She buried her face in his chest, her tears dampening his shirt.

"I'm not going to," he firmly responded.

She cried for a few more minutes and he consoled her by gently rubbing her back.

Finally, she pulled away from him and rolled onto her back, thinking hard.

"I'm not gonna be a bad parent," she stated. "I'm gonna support this kid, and be there for it no matter what." She placed a hand on her small baby bump. "I won't ever abandon it… not even if it's ugly, which it couldn't be anyway because it's _mine_."

A small smile appeared on Eric's face, as he remained laying beside her. Sometimes he forgot how self-absorbed Jackie could be, but occasionally she offered him a tiny peek by saying something not unlike the words she had just spoken.

"As long as I've known you, you have been many things," Eric admitted. "I may have not always noticed it at the time, but, Jackie, you are… incredibly caring." He set his hand on top of hers. "Your kid is gonna be so lucky that you're its mom."

Jackie beamed up at him. She wove her fingers with his and squeezed them.

"You know, when your mom told me I had a phone call, I sort of thought it would be Nate," Jackie revealed.

Eric felt his heart sink a little bit. "How did you feel about that?"

"Pissed off," Jackie told him, laughing. "I was so ready to tell that bastard off; I was totally thrown off when it was actually my mother."

Eric grinned at her and then began to think. "So… let's say he _did_ call…" He paused. "And maybe he said all the right things, and—"

"Eric, stop it," Jackie told him adamantly. "I don't want you thinking those things."

"That's not really an answer," Eric pointed out, feeling a teeny bit insecure.

She turned her head to the right so she was looking at him. "Not gonna happen. He could say any combination of words to me and it's not gonna change the fact that I love _you_ , okay? I never even loved him." She blinked, watching his reaction. "Now, I'm not going to tell you again," she teased.

Eric shrugged. "You can't blame me for thinking about it."

"I guess not," Jackie agreed. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Eric, you're my Prince Charming."

He smiled and gave her a surprised look. "Really? The guy who was so mean to you all those years?"

"I mean, you're with the girl who bagged all your friends before bagging you," Jackie admitted. "I can't believe you'd settle for me."

"Hey, nobody settles for Jackie Burkhart," Eric reminded her, reaching out to caress her cheek as she grinned at him. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "You're perfect… who can blame everyone else for wanting to date you, too?"

"I love you," she told him, her voice somber as she gazed at him with wide eyes.

He kissed her again. "I love you, too." He gave her a serious look upon pulling away. "And I'm gonna love your baby, too."

Jackie felt her heart melt. She knew he wouldn't say it if he didn't mean it. "Good… 'cause without you, the two of us wouldn't have anything."

Eric smiled, caressing her hand again.

Jackie looked up at him. "Hey, Eric?"

"Hey, Jackie?" he responded, cracking a grin.

"The baby really wants some Fatso Burger fries," Jackie told him. "Would you mind taking us?"

"Oh, the _baby_ wants Fatso Burger fries?" Eric asked with a laugh. He lightly kissed her forehead before sitting up. "Of course I'll take you both."

Jackie grinned at him and got up.


	14. Chapter 14

…

"Happy birthday."

Jackie awoke from her short slumber, head on Eric's chest, to a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Huh?" Her eyes sleepily opened. "What time is it?"

"Exactly midnight," Eric told her, rubbing her shoulder with the arm that was wrapped around it.

"Oh," Jackie replied. "I guess I'm nineteen now."

Eric tilted her chin up towards him and gave her a deep kiss. When they pulled away, Jackie bit her lip and smiled.

"My first kiss as a nineteen-year-old," she told him.

"Must've been a good one," Eric responded. "You're still smiling."

Her smile widened and she lightly hit him in the chest. "You always make me smile." Her eyes widened as she put her hand on her rounded belly. "I feel the fluttering again."

"Could I actually feel it or can you just feel it?" Eric inquired.

Jackie moved her hand around her stomach. "No, it's just like… it feels like how I felt when you first kissed me." She shyly smiled. "Just a super intense version of that."

Eric grinned at her. "You're so sweet."

"You're sweeter." Jackie kissed him and the fluttering intensified. Suddenly, she felt a tiny kick. She gasped and pulled away. "Eric."

He gave her a confused look. "Yeah?"

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Julia kicked. I swear she just kicked."

Jackie had now gotten into the habit of referring to her baby as Julia, because she claimed she absolutely knew it had to be a girl.

Eric laid his palm flat on her now twenty-weeks-pregnant bump. "I don't feel anything."

"I just…" Jackie put her hand beside his. "Hi, sweetie… kick again for me?" She waited a few moments and suddenly felt another tiny kick inside her abdomen. "Eric, did you feel that?"

"I did," Eric admitted. "That's… that's crazy."

"She _listened_ to me," Jackie said with a grin.

"Well, you're wide awake now," Eric commented, and kissed her hair.

"Because this is so _exciting_ ," Jackie responded. "I mean… this is so real now."

Eric smiled. "I know it is, honey." He removed his arm from around her waist. "But you really should try and get some sleep. You have an appointment at nine, remember?"

Jackie groaned. "Ugh, yes. Going to the doctor on my birthday, how exciting." She looked up at him. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"

"Not sure my parents will be too fond of that," Eric reminded her. "But what the hell. I'll just close my bedroom door and they won't know the difference."

She grinned and gave him a peck on the lips before standing up and taking his hand. "Let's go to bed."

…

"All appears to be good," the nurse commented, glancing at the machine before her. "Have you been feeling okay?"

"My back still hurts," Jackie admitted, her hand tightly squeezing Eric's, who was standing beside her. "But other than that, I've been okay, I guess."

The nurse nodded. "That's normal, especially for your first pregnancy." She smiled at Jackie. "He needs lots of room in there and your body is still getting used to it, even at twenty weeks."

Jackie gave the nurse a confused look. "Wait… he?"

"Oh, they didn't tell you at your last appointment?" the nurse asked. "We can determine the sex now. Doesn't surprise me that Lisa couldn't read the machine; we're still getting used to it."

"I'm… I'm having a boy?" Jackie's eyes were wide with shock.

"Yes, congratulations, Miss Burkhart," the nurse responded. "About sixteen weeks and you'll have your little boy in your arms."

Jackie looked at Eric in surprise. "A boy… God, I didn't think I'd find out until after I had it… him."

"She was totally convinced she was having a girl, anyway," Eric explained to the nurse.

"Well, I hope I didn't ruin the surprise," the nurse admitted. "Sometimes people don't want to know. Guess it just slipped out of me." She looked straight at Jackie. "Now, make sure you're taking a multi-vitamin. Your body needs it more than ever right now."

"Okay," Jackie replied, still feeling stunned.

"You two are free to go," the nurse said. "We'll see you in about two weeks, okay?"

"Okay," Jackie echoed, standing up as she clutched Eric's arm.

They walked out of the doctor's office and got in the car.

"Eric, I have no idea what I could name a boy!" Jackie said, feeling slightly frustrated. "I already had a name picked out!"

Eric tried to suppress a smile. "Well, you have time to figure that out."

"Yeah, but now I'll never have a Julia!" Jackie cried, sighing.

"I mean…" Eric shrugged. "You can one day. Just not… now." He started the car and placed a hand on her leg. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You're saying that…" She blushed. "That if, um, if we make it, you're not gonna force me to name our daughter Leia?"

Eric squeezed her leg. "You know, now that you've put the idea in my head, that's actually awesome," he teased her and then looked serious. "You'd wanna have my kid?"

"Eric, you're willing to help raise a child that isn't yours," Jackie reminded him. "So… of course I'd have your kid."

He smiled at her response and continued driving.

"I can't even think of any boy names," Jackie admitted. "I mean… I like 'J' names." She thought about it and frowned. "Joseph is an ugly name."

"Why's that?" Eric inquired.

"Because, Eric, he would go by Joey, and my son will not be given the same name as a baby kangaroo," Jackie insisted.

The corners of Eric's mouth turned up with amusement.

"I'm _not_ naming him after my father, either," she said sternly. "There's no way I'd name my kid after a power-hungry prison rat." She thought about it some more. "Plus, Jack and Jackie… that's far too confusing."

"There's John," Eric offered.

"Too plain," Jackie decided.

"You could do Julian," Eric said. "That's, like, the boy version of Julia."

"I think that's John Lennon's son's name," Jackie replied, wrinkling her nose. "I'm not naming my kid after some hippie's kid."

"James?" Eric tried again.

This time, Jackie smiled. "Huh… James. I like that." She mulled it over. "We won't call him Jimmy or Jim, though. That's ugly. He'll just go by James."

"So, do we have a winner?" Eric asked.

"I think we just might," Jackie told him. She looked down at her stomach. "You're a boy, huh? How do you feel about being called James?" She lightly rubbed her baby bump. "Aw… no kick this time. That's okay."

They arrived home shortly after, entering the house through the kitchen to find it empty. The pair walked into the living room to find Red and Kitty watching television.

"Oh, oh, honey, how'd it go?" Kitty asked, eagerly patting the couch as she noticed their entrance.

"Well…" Jackie looked up at Eric.

Eric spoke up. "Turns out she has a little James in there, not a Julia."

"Oh, they told you the gender?" Kitty asked in excitement. "And you're going to name him James! That is just so sweet!" She could hardly contain herself. "Red, isn't that sweet? Oh, it's like the James Taylor song!"

Red grunted. "Well… if it's a boy, try not to let Eric spend too much time with him. You don't want your son to be a smart-mouthed Star Wars kid."

Kitty gave Red a disapproving look. "Oh, Eric will do just fine with a boy." She realized what she said and her eyes widened. "So… I know I've asked this before, but… you two really are going to co-parent this child together?"

Eric wrapped his arm around Jackie's waist. This was one of those questions where his answer never seemed to totally convince his mother. "Yeah, Mom, and we're gonna be great."

Jackie beamed up at him. "I think Eric will be a great father."

Red's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he didn't say anything.

"Oh, you two are just so sweet," Kitty replied giddily. "I just love that you both are in love!"

Eric chuckled, pulling Jackie closer to him. "Yeah, me too." He kissed the top of her head lightly.

Suddenly, Fez appeared in the living room. "You guys!"

Jackie gave Fez a confused look. "When did you get here, Fez?"

"Just now!" Fez stopped to catch his breath. "Jackie… that guy showed up at the apartment looking for you."

Jackie felt her breath get caught in her throat. "Wh-what?"

"That Nate guy," Fez reiterated. "He's looking for you."

Jackie's eyes widened and she glanced up at Eric quickly, who had an alarmed look on his face as well.

"Well… what did you tell him?" Jackie inquired after a moment of silence.

"I didn't say anything," Fez told her. "I ran out of there the second he told us who he was. Hyde threw a punch at him and I knew I had to come tell you."

"Steven hit him?" Kitty asked, stunned.

"Yes, Miss Kitty!" Fez looked nervous. "And between the two of them, it looked like it could've been a fair fight, but Hyde… he just has all of this rage."

"Well, what else happened?" Kitty asked, eager for more information.

"I don't know; I got out of there as fast as I could!" Fez responded. "I just thought Jackie should know if he finds out that she is here."

Jackie sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Let him find me, Fez. I don't care. I have plenty of things I'd like to say to him, anyway."

Fez eyed Eric nervously. "Eric… what do you think?"

Eric pulled his arm away from Jackie. "I think she should do what she wants. This is her kid." He started walking toward the staircase.

"Wait, Eric!" Jackie began walking towards him, sensing his frustration.

"No, Jackie, just… give me a minute, okay?" Eric told her. "You need to process this; I need to process this. I just need to be alone for a little while."

Jackie, feeling overly sensitive, felt her eyes fill with tears as she watched him ascend the staircase.

"Damn it, this is my birthday!" she cried out in defeat.

"Oh, yes, Jackie," Fez said, walking toward the petite, pregnant brunette. "I got you this." He handed her a box.

She opened it. "Wow, Fez… a half-empty box of chocolates." She mustered a smile. "Thank you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Jackie, I'm making you my famous triple berry pie for your birthday," Kitty told her, abruptly standing up. "Gosh darn it, I need to run to the Piggly Wiggly."

"I'll, uh… go with you," Red said, feeling awkward with the tension in the room. Before exiting, he gently patted Jackie on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Jackie smiled at the rare sign of affection from Red Forman. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all. She just needed to talk to Eric once he was ready.

A firm knock was heard on the door and it suddenly flung open.

Hyde appeared at the doorway, holding a heavily bruised Nate by the arm.

"Happy birthday, Jackie," Hyde muttered, and thrust Nate into the room. "Got you something."


	15. Chapter 15

…

"Let's give these two some privacy," Hyde mumbled, pulling Fez by his sleeve and heading to the basement, which left Jackie and Nate alone in the living room.

Jackie blinked at him, noticing his black eye and bloody nose.

"So…" He watched her, looking pathetic. "Guess you really are pregnant, huh?" He gestured toward her baby bump.

"Yes, I am, you ass," Jackie snapped, shooting daggers at him.

He said nothing and held his hand below his nose to stop the bleeding as she stared at him, waiting for him to say anything.

"Fine, just go and clean yourself up in the kitchen," Jackie told him. "There are paper towels on the counter. I'll be waiting in here."

Nate nodded slowly and went into the kitchen, leaving Jackie momentarily alone on the couch. She really wished Eric would come down so she wouldn't be by herself in this. Being alone with Nate now, after everything, just felt insanely awkward.

After a minute, Nate returned, clutching a couple of paper towels.

"So," Jackie mumbled from where she sat on the couch.

Nate stood behind Red's chair, unsure of what to say.

"What do you want?" she asked him, giving him an annoyed look.

"I just…" Nate paused, dabbing under his nose with one of the paper towels. "I wasn't expecting to get my ass kicked, that's for sure." He frowned. "Guess I deserved that."

"Uh huh," Jackie responded bitchily.

Nate began walking toward her. "Jackie…" He sat next to her on the couch and took one of her hands. "I know I was wrong. I even knew it when I said what I said, but… it just freaked me out. If I'm gonna be a parent, I wanna do it right, and at this point in my life I don't feel like I can do it right."

"How the hell do you think I feel?" Jackie asked, snatching her hand away from him. "I wasn't prepared for this, but I'm gonna do it. And guess what? _I don't need you_." She scowled at him. "I don't need your half-hearted apology and I'm not gonna feel bad for you just because you're all beat up. In fact, I would've done it myself if I weren't in this delicate condition."

Nate lightly snickered to himself. "Still feisty, huh?" He smirked at her while she glared at him in response. "I'm sorry, okay? I… I majorly screwed up, but I've thought it over and I'm ready to do this with you."

Jackie snorted. "Okay, where were you five months ago?"

"Being a bona fide asshole in asshole land," Nate admitted.

"Well, my son doesn't need you and neither do I," Jackie reiterated. "We have—"

"Wait… son?" Nate gave her a serious look. "We're having a boy?"

" _I'm_ having a boy," Jackie told him. "You're having… nothing with a side of nobody!"

Nate lightly laughed, which only further enraged her. "Listen, we had a good thing going on. Can't we pick up where we left off?" He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, me, you, and this little guy?" He patted her stomach and she winced. "We could be a real family… I know you haven't had one of those and neither have I."

Jackie groaned at him. He was saying the right things, but nothing he could ever say would change her mind. She loved Eric and she wanted that family with _him_ , not Nate.

"Jackie." Nate lightly touched her shoulder. "You're just so beautiful." He began to lean in to press a kiss onto her lips.

"Okay, get away from her!" Eric's voice called out from the staircase.

Relieved, Jackie scooted backwards, away from Nate.

Nate narrowed his eyes at Eric. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend!" Eric told him, walking behind the couch. He placed his hand on Jackie's shoulders.

Nate smirked. " _You're_ her boyfriend?" He tried to stifle a laugh. "You know she's pregnant, right? With _my_ kid?"

"No," Eric replied defensively, nerves evident in his voice. "It's gonna be my kid, okay?"

Nate rolled his eyes and shifted focus to the brunette on the couch. "Jackie, baby, you can't be serious. This guy isn't even the one who kicked my ass. You're shacking up with him?"

"Yes," Jackie responded firmly. She stood up and disappeared into Eric's arms. "He's all I need," she mumbled. She turned her head so it was no longer buried in Eric's chest. "So you can just go away, okay?"

"Okay, you can be with this guy, and screw this guy, or whatever," Nate muttered, shaking his head. "But that doesn't change the fact that I _gave_ you that child, okay? That's my son."

"That you didn't even want until, like, today!" Eric retorted, incredulous.

"Nah, man, I've given myself time to think," Nate told him defensively.

"Yeah, well, while you took your time, I was here for her and you weren't," Eric pointed out, caressing Jackie's back.

"Okay, but either way, I deserve to be in that kid's life," Nate argued.

"You forfeited that when you abandoned her," Eric refuted, and Jackie eagerly nodded along with him.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so I'm young and stupid. At least I'm not coming back, like, two years later. It's only been a few months." His eyes focused on Jackie. "And if you weren't such a whore, you would've waited for me!"

Jackie's jaw dropped. " _Wait_ for you?"

"Okay, that's it," Eric muttered, removing his grip on Jackie and standing in front of her. "Do you want your ass kicked again? 'Cause, believe me, I've been wanting to do this to you ever since you bailed."

Nate sneered and opened his mouth to say something, but Eric's fist hit his jaw before he could. Nate hit him back, and the two continued fighting as they yelled obscenities at each other.

"Guys!" Jackie yelled, watching them throw punches and feeling totally helpless.

"Jackie, get out of here," Eric told her; worried she could get hurt.

Jackie scurried into the kitchen and yelled for Fez and Hyde, who soon retreated up the stairs.

Hyde entered the living room and saw Nate and Eric. He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and broke the two up, while Fez remained in the doorway of the living room with Jackie.

"Man, get the hell out of here!" Hyde snapped at Nate. He looked at Eric. "Forman, what the hell do you think you're doing, fighting around a pregnant chick?"

"He—he called her a whore," Eric breathlessly uttered.

Hyde's fist flew out and hit Nate in the nose. Nate fell back and hit the front door.

"Yeah, man, there's the door," Eric called out. "Just leave and don't come back."

Nate grunted, holding his nose in place. "You all," he said slowly, looking at everyone in the room, "Have got some serious issues. I was just trying to do the right thing."

"Yeah, well, you went too far!" Jackie yelled, trying to walk towards him, but Fez held her back.

Nate rolled his eyes and walked out of the front door.

Jackie ran over to Eric. "Baby, are you okay?" She put her hands on his face, studying the fresh cuts and bruises.

"I'm… I'm fine." He looked slightly defeated. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah… I'm okay." She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a long kiss. "Don't scare me like that, though!"

Fez watched the show of affection with wide eyes, while Hyde tried not to groan.

Jackie fell into Eric's arms and looked over at her two exes. "Thank you, Steven, for what you did… and thanks for holding me back, Fez."

"You should know better," Fez reminded her.

"Yeah… whatever," Hyde mumbled from where he now sat on the couch.

"Aren't you gonna thank me?" Eric asked, feeling slightly offended as he looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Of course," Jackie replied, turning to face him although she was still wrapped in his arms. "Thank you, my prince charming."

He kissed her on the top of the head.

"Aww," Fez said, watching them. "It's like Jackie was on the Dating Game, but the three suitors did not work out, and then she found Eric." He grinned at his analogy.

"Was that a burn on me or you guys?" Eric wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter," Jackie told him. "I'm just glad you're alright, you… you idiot."

"Hey, I defended your honor," Eric replied. "How would it look if Hyde did it but not me?"

"Yes, but, baby, Steven has… well, he's…" She trailed off, wondering how to put it without insulting him.

"I've kicked way more ass in my day," Hyde finished for her. "Meanwhile, Forman, you're fragile… like a pretty flower." He grinned menacingly at his friend.

Eric rolled his eyes. "Anyways, that guy was a total ass. I can't believe you dated him."

"To be honest, I never took him as someone who would act like that," Jackie admitted. "I mean, him coming to talk to me was fine and all, but—"

"You were fine with it?" Eric asked.

"Well, yeah," Jackie stated. "It's, like, I had so much I needed to say to get this weight off of my shoulders and now that I did, I feel amazing." A small smile formed on her face. "Although, watching him get his ass kicked was also pretty great."

"Okay, I was winning, right?" Eric looked around the room for reassurance.

Hyde cleared his throat. "You did better than I would have anticipated."

"You did wonderfully," Jackie added encouragingly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Eric told her, lightly squeezing her closer to him.

"Yeah, well, that's about all the excitement I can take for today," Hyde commented. "Think I'll head back to the apartment for a circle. Feels weird doin' it here now that I'm not staying in the basement."

"But Steven, it's my birthday," Jackie insisted, pulling away from Eric. "You guys should be here. Mrs. Forman's making a pie."

"Nah, I can't take much more of you and Forman's sickening displays of affection," Hyde muttered.

Fez nodded in agreement. "Yes, we get it; you like each other!"

Eric smirked at his friends, feeling sorry for his girlfriend but also understanding where they were coming from.

"Okay, well, fine," Jackie mumbled. She walked towards them and gave them each a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you very much for helping me handle that situation," she told them. "It was very sweet of you guys."

Hyde scoffed at the kiss, while Fez grinned. Ultimately, the two of them were happy that their friends were happy, despite the odd circumstances.

"Yeah, well, whatever," Hyde responded. "Just doing what a man should do."

"Jackie, I would gladly fight a guy for you," Fez told her. "Just… maybe like a very small guy."

Despite rolling her eyes at the comment, Jackie had a smile on her face.

…


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating as frequently! I promise, though, this story will not go unfinished. I've just been busy between work and updating one of my other stories. Basically, I don't want to force myself to write unless I have a solid idea. I'm off for a few days now, so I will be brainstorming what happens after this chapter and the next. You can definitely expect more updates. Thank you and please review!**

…

A month passed, and it was nearly Thanksgiving.

Jackie was in her sixth month of pregnancy, which meant it was hard to get comfortable in bed, it was hard to be on her feet longer than ten minutes… it was hard to do pretty much anything.

She and Eric had been going strong and there were no signs of Nate after the events that took place on her birthday. That was probably the thing she was most thankful for that coming Thanksgiving.

Now, it was two o'clock and Jackie was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading a magazine. Kitty had dragged Red to some first Thanksgiving reenactment, while Eric was in class. Jackie had to admit: sometimes it was nice to be alone. She knew she wouldn't get much of that in the near future. She never used to be able to handle being all by her lonesome, but she didn't feel quite so lonely anymore. Plus, it gave her time to relax without feeling too guilty about it. However, her relaxation was about to be interrupted.

She heard the sliding door open in the kitchen. "Eric, is that you?"

"No." She heard a familiar voice and turned to face the door leading to the kitchen. The door swung open, revealing a tall blonde.

"Donna!" Jackie threw down her magazine and stood up.

"Jackie, oh my God; you're huge!" Donna walked towards her and attempted a quick hug.

"I know," Jackie admitted, touching her stomach self-consciously. "I look ridiculous."

"No, you look like you're pregnant," Donna reminded her. "How far along are you?"

"Twenty-four weeks," Jackie told her, and gave her a look of shock. "What are you doing back?"

"It's Thanksgiving break!" Donna said excitedly. "I know I haven't been home since I left, but I didn't want to jeopardize my job by leaving this past summer." She watched her small friend stroll back to the couch, sitting down. "I can't believe it. You're even walking like a pregnant lady."

"That's because I _am_ pregnant, Donna," Jackie said. She placed her hand on her baby bump. "Oh, he's kicking again," she whined.

"He?" Donna's face lit up. "You're having a boy?"

A small smile formed on Jackie's face as she nodded. "Yeah, and I swear he's the next Pelé. He doesn't stop moving."

Donna smiled, sitting next to her friend. "Can I feel?"

Jackie nodded as Donna placed her hand on Jackie's belly just as the baby kicked again.

"Oh my God!" Donna exclaimed. "Jackie, this is so exciting!"

Jackie didn't say anything, but nervously smiled at her friend.

"So… any word from the dill hole?" Donna inquired, noticing her friend's lack of enthusiasm.

"Oh… yeah." Jackie looked down for a moment. "He said he wants to be involved, but—"

"That's great, right?" Donna asked. "I mean, he's undoubtedly a terrible person for taking so long, and by no means am I condoning you getting back with him if you aren't already, but… it'll be nice to have help, right?"

"He's _not_ going to be helping," Jackie adamantly said. "I told him off, and… well, Steven's the one who brought him over. He looked absolutely pathetic."

"Hyde brought him?" Donna asked, surprised.

"He thought I still lived in the apartment," Jackie told her. "When he found out who he was, Steven beat his ass."

An amused smile came across Donna's face. "Hyde beat up your baby daddy?" She raised her eyebrows. "You think maybe…?" She trailed off, giving Jackie a suggestive look.

"God, no," Jackie retorted, rolling her eyes. "He was just being nice, which was pretty sweet."

"So you and Hyde are totally over then?" Donna asked. "I always thought you guys would end up back together, you know, if you and Fez didn't make it."

"We're friends, Donna," Jackie replied flatly. "That ship has totally sailed."

Donna nodded, thinking. "You're doing surprisingly well on your own, Jackie. I honestly wasn't sure if you could do it."

"Yeah, well…" Jackie shrugged. "I have support from, you know, the Formans."

"I guess they are really helpful," Donna commented. "At least Mrs. Forman is." She looked around the room, trying to look casual. "Hey, how's Eric?"

Jackie felt her heart begin to race. "Oh, he's fine. He's at school right now."

"Does he like it?" Donna asked, trying not to seem too interested.

"Yeah," Jackie replied with a nod. "He's actually been student teaching at the middle school as of a few weeks ago."

"Oh, that's…" Donna trailed off. "Good for him. I'm glad he's doing something."

"Yeah," Jackie responded. "Are you… like, are you seeing anyone in Seattle?"

"Not really," Donna said. "I've gone on a couple first dates that didn't end too great."

"Well, are you over Eric?" Jackie asked, raising her eyebrows.

Donna thought about it and shrugged. "Well, yeah, I'm over it. He's just, like, my first love, you know? I'm always gonna have some feelings for him. Probably like how you feel with Kelso."

Jackie snorted, trying to suppress her jealousy. "I love Michael, but I have zero feelings for him."

"Okay, but you did for a while after," Donna pointed out. "Eric and I have only been broken up for like a year. I'll get over it eventually."

"You just said you were over it," Jackie reminded her, a bitchy edge clear in her voice.

"And I am," Donna declared. "Just maybe not completely."

…

It was now Thanksgiving. Kitty had spread out every dish over the dining room table, which she had to add a leaf to. It had now become tradition to have Bob Pinciotti over each year, as Kitty felt sympathetic for him since Midge had left.

Jackie had let Eric know that Donna was back and would be attending dinner that evening, a fact that made them both nervous. They had spoken with Fez and Hyde, who each agreed not to say anything for the night.

"Alright," Kitty said, clapping her hands as she picked up a floral arrangement from the table. "No room for centerpieces tonight!" She looked over at her son. "Eric, honey, will you please set the green bean casserole on the table?"

"Sure." Eric disappeared into the kitchen.

"Oh, just think," Kitty said, smiling at Jackie as she straightened up the silverware on each napkin. "Next Thanksgiving there'll be one more of us."

"I know." Jackie beamed at the thought of adding a high chair to the table next year. She admired how perfect the table looked, her eyes proudly lingering on the only contribution she had made to it: the salad. "Three more months. I can hardly believe it."

"Oh, you will," Kitty told her. "Now, I was talking to Red about moving your bed into Eric's room; that way your current room can be a cute little nurs—"

"Mom." Eric stood in the doorway of the dining room, oven mitts on his hand as he held the casserole. "Um, Bob and Donna are here."

"Oh, good," Kitty replied, noticing the two Pinciottis behind Eric as they talked in the kitchen. A thought crossed Kitty's mind. "That means I have to move my pies before Bob decides to sneak a piece!" She exited the dining room and Eric walked in, setting the casserole on the table.

He gave Jackie a serious look upon turning around. "You sure you don't want to tell her?" he asked quietly.

"I just can't," Jackie admitted. "She overreacts to things; you know that. I just can't handle that right now."

Everyone began entering the dining room, so Jackie and Eric sat down in the chairs next to where they had been standing.

"God, I can't wait until I can actually scoot my chair under the table again," Jackie commented.

Donna took a seat on the other side of Jackie. "If it makes you feel better, it's Thanksgiving, which means we'll all be at that point at the end of this meal." She cracked a smile.

"Alright, now," Kitty announced once Fez and Hyde finally entered the dining room and sat down, "I have been working on this for nearly ten hours so we're going to make this last, okay? This holiday is for memories, not for eating as fast as you can so you can leave the room." She shot her husband a look, who rolled his eyes.

Everyone began piling their plates high with food. Jackie glanced around the room, noticing that everyone had a beer but Kitty, who had a cocktail in front of her. She frowned and began standing up.

"Hey, hey, where are you going?" Eric asked her, lightly touching her arm.

"I forgot to get a Tab," Jackie replied.

"Sit down," Eric told her, standing up. "I've got it."

Jackie sat back down, a relieved smile coming to her face.

"Kitty," Bob said, his mouth full, "Great turkey, as always."

"Thank you, Bob," Kitty replied graciously.

"Anyone like the salad?" Jackie asked, her eyes searching around the table for who had it on their plates.

"It's good, but it's just salad," Fez responded.

Jackie's face fell, and Kitty noticed.

"Well, I think I'm gonna take another serving of that salad because it's just so darn good!" she exclaimed. "Jackie made it, everyone."

Not wanting to face any potential pregnant wrath from Jackie, everyone took some until the glass bowl was empty.

"So good, Jacks," Hyde commented.

"Yeah, you really did good with this one," Red added.

Eric returned to the dining room, squeezing his way past Bob, and set the can of soda in front of Jackie after cracking it open for her.

"Thanks," Jackie told him earnestly. She took a sip of her drink. "Could you put some of those sweet potatoes on my plate, honey?" A blank look crossed her face as she realized what she said. "Um, Fez… honey?"

"But I am all the way over here!" Fez whined. "Oh, fine." He grabbed her plate and walked to the other side of the table, putting a scoop in between the turkey and the green bean casserole. "There you go. Sweet potatoes for you, sweet potato." He grinned as he handed her the plate and then went back to his side of the table.

Donna gave Jackie a weird look. "You call Fez 'honey'?" she asked, lowering her voice.

"Oh, I call everyone 'honey' now," Jackie said nervously. "It's just… it's a maternal thing… honey." She put her hand on Donna's knee and laughed.

"Okay." Donna chortled and they all continued eating.

…


	17. Chapter 17

"Ooh, the last piece of pie," Fez said with a grin, placing the slice on his plate.

"The pie's gone?" Red asked, sounding upset. "Kitty, don't you usually make three pies?"

"I did, Red," Kitty told him. "You know, the lack of pies isn't a problem. It's actually the highest compliment!" She smiled widely at the empty pie plates on the counter. "I wanted to make a peach pie, and you told me no."

"That's because I hate peach pie," Red reminded her before she headed to the dining room for cleanup. He frowned, watching Fez spray a mound of whipped cream on the slice, and followed his wife into the other room.

"Oh, whipped cream," Fez said softly to himself. "So many possibilities."

"Gross, man," Hyde commented as Fez exited the kitchen. As the door swung, Hyde noticed Donna and Jackie sitting on the couch looking deep in conversation. He glanced at Eric, who appeared to have noticed, too. "You think she's telling her?"

"No," Eric said, shaking his head. "Jackie's the one who is so adamant about her not knowing."

"So you want her to know," Hyde deduced.

Eric thought about it and shrugged. "I just think it's better to be honest about everything. I mean, we're serious; you know we're serious. Donna has a right to know."

"Why don't you just tell her then?" Hyde asked, sounding serious. Then, he cracked a grin.

"Right," Eric replied with a chuckle. "You know as well as I do how that would fare over."

The two continued chatting for a few minutes until Donna walked in the room.

"Hey, Eric, could I talk to you for a sec?" Donna asked.

Eric looked slightly confused and gave her a shrug. "Yeah, sure."

She led him outside the sliding door and into the driveway, where they once had shared so many moments together.

"I feel like you're avoiding me," Donna finally said. "And… I get that it's weird that I'm here and everything, but—"

"I'm not avoiding you," Eric told her, shifting uncomfortably.

"Well, I mean, for God's sake, you've talked to Jackie more than you've talked to me tonight," Donna replied with a slight laugh.

"Jackie and I live together now," Eric reminded her. "We're… we're friends."

"Yeah, well, who would have thought you two would ever tolerate each other?" Donna replied, laughing at the situation. "I'm guessing she's been a moody nightmare, what with her being pregnant and all."

"No," Eric responded defensively. "She's been great."

"Oh." Donna looked surprised and slightly ashamed about her comment. "Okay… well, that's good."

"Yeah," Eric said quietly.

Donna bit her lip, not enjoying the silence that followed. "Um, how has everything been?"

"I've been great," Eric admitted. "Things have actually been going pretty well lately."

"Cool," Donna replied, nodding as she stared down at the pavement. "So, um, Jackie tells me you've been seeing someone?"

"What?" Eric looked at Donna in alarm. "She… what?"

"Yeah," Donna said, giving him a weird look. "I mean, I get it if you don't wanna talk about it, but you don't have to hide it from me. I've dated other people too, you know."

"I… I know, but this is just… it's different," Eric said, his voice firm.

"How's that?" Donna inquired.

"I just… I know it's gonna last," Eric told her. "There's a future there."

"Well, jeez, when's the wedding?" Donna asked, trying not to feel disappointed.

Eric tapped his fingers on the Vista Cruiser that was behind him. "Not anytime soon, but it'll happen eventually."

Donna gave him a halfhearted smile. "So, who's the mystery lady? Anyone I'd know?"

Eric opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Jackie, who had been going nuts at the thought of them talking. She had opened the sliding door and tried to think of an excuse to interrupt them. Donna shot her a look, as she had confided in her friend that she wanted a private moment with her ex-boyfriend.

"Sorry, guys," Jackie said, trying to look apologetic. "Um… Eric, your mom wanted me to tell you to help with the dishes."

"Why didn't you help her?" Donna asked, feeling annoyed at the interruption.

"Donna, I'm too pregnant to do something like that," Jackie replied.

"Guess I'll go in," Eric said awkwardly, walking past Jackie and going inside. Donna followed him and therefore, so did Jackie.

Eric went to the sink and began scrubbing some dishes. Kitty, who was standing by the oven, noticed.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to do that," Kitty told him. "Why don't you go hang out with your friends?" She patted him on the shoulder and walked back into the dining room.

Donna overheard and gave Jackie a confused look.

"I just figured you'd… need some help," Eric called to his mother whilst looking at Jackie.

Donna looked between them. "What is going on?"

"Nothing," Jackie squeaked. "I just… I wanted…"

"Why did you interrupt our conversation, Jackie?" Donna asked, feeling irritated with the petite brunette.

Jackie was wide-eyed and at loss for words. Eric noticed.

"Because she's a good friend," he quickly responded, coming to Jackie's rescue. "She… she knows that I'm in a serious relationship now and she doesn't want you to potentially get upset about it." He glanced over at Jackie nervously. "I think."

"Exactly," Jackie replied, an anxious edge to her voice.

"Well, I'm not upset about it," Donna replied defensively. "I'm happy for you, Eric. You and I always wanted different things, and if you've found somebody who wants what you want, then I'm happy."

Jackie listened to her friend's words and started feeling immense guilt. Eric could sense that she was upset and wanted to comfort her, but refrained from doing so.

"Thanks, Donna," Eric said slowly.

"Now, unless you want to linger on this slightly uncomfortable topic, I'm going in the other room," Donna responded. When nobody said anything, Donna headed to the living room.

"I'm sorry," Jackie said quietly, her lip trembling.

Eric frowned before heading to her and gently embracing her. "It's okay."

"I just… I feel so bad," Jackie said, her voice soft.

"You'll feel better if you stop hiding it," Eric told her.

"You don't know that," Jackie replied as she leaned her head on his chest. "It could be worse."

"She said she's happy for me," Eric reminded her. "And you're her friend, so of course she'd be happy for you."

Jackie didn't say anything.

"Come on, Jackie," Eric mumbled, his face buried in her hair.

She sighed and pulled away from him. "Everybody thinks we're so ridiculous since we're doing this."

"No, they don't," Eric replied, giving her a surprised look. "Do they?"

"They must," Jackie said. "I mean… look at me. They must be thinking, why on Earth would you want to do this with me?"

Eric gave her a small smile. "Well, because I love you."

"But why?" Jackie asked. For once, she wasn't asking for an ego boost. She was asking because she simply did not understand.

"Jackie, this would've happened whether or not you were pregnant," Eric told her. "And just because you are… well, it's made us stronger, and it's gonna make us even more strong." He took her hand. "I wanna do this with you; you know I do. In fact, I think you're the only person I'd ever want to do this with."

Jackie listened to him and gave him a smile. "I just can't believe this." A look of amazement was on her face. "I mean, they're right… of all people, who'd have thought it'd be us?"

"I know," Eric replied, softly laughing. "I just… I love you, Jackie, and I don't want you to ever question that."

"I love you, too," Jackie echoed.

He hugged her tightly again and when they pulled away, she looked up at him. He leaned in and gave her a tender kiss, just as Donna walked in.

"What is taking you guys so—" She focused in on them and noticed what had just happened. "Oh my God."

"Oh my God, Donna!" Jackie broke away from Eric and approached her tall friend. "Donna, I… it's not what it looks like."

"Then what is it, Jackie?" Donna asked, looking hurt. She thought for a moment. "Oh my God, is that _Eric's_ baby?"

"No, I swear it's not," Jackie replied, shaking her head.

"Okay, so what the hell is going on?" Donna asked again. "Are you two together?"

Jackie opened her mouth, probably to spew out another fib, but Eric spoke first.

"Yeah, Donna, we're together," Eric told her.

"She's the one you're so serious about," Donna stated. "The one you see a future with?"

Eric nodded and Jackie, who stood beside him, looked nervously up at him.

"The girl you always hated?" Donna kept going, still in disbelief. "The one who dated all three of your best friends?" She stopped for a second. "The girl who is currently knocked up by some other guy?"

"Yes, Donna!" Jackie replied exasperatedly. "It doesn't make any sense, but… for some reason, it happened."

"Well, congratulations, Jackie," Donna commented snarkily. "You've made it through the entire group. Now that Laurie's gone, you're officially the town's biggest slut!"

She ran past Jackie and Eric, fleeing the Forman house.

Jackie stood there, stunned, as tears began to sting her eyes. She turned to Eric. "See? This is why I didn't want to tell her!"

She hurried into the basement as she burst into tears.

"Hey, man," Hyde commented from where he sat on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"Donna knows," Jackie sobbed. "She said I'm the town's biggest slut."

She sat next to Hyde on the couch and buried her face in her hands. "God, what's wrong with me? I couldn't manage to keep my hands off of my best friend's ex-boyfriend."

Suddenly, Eric appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Jackie—"

"No, I screwed up, okay?" Jackie tearfully cried. "I hurt the only person who's always been there for me."

Hurt, Eric stood behind her and started to speak. "But—"

"Just go away," she muttered, her face hidden behind her hands. "We never should've done this, Eric."

Eric felt the words hit him like a knife. Wounded, he retreated back up the stairs.

"Come on, man," Hyde said, facing the brunette. "You didn't mean that."

"No, I did," Jackie insisted, wiping her eyes despite the fact that the tears wouldn't stop coming.

Hyde shook his head. "Listen, Jacks, I know you. I've seen you two since this whole thing started, and yeah, it was weird at first, but I can tell you guys really care about each other."

"It doesn't matter," Jackie responded, sniffing. "I could've picked anyone, but I picked him."

"You didn't pick him," Hyde told her. "Okay, you picked Kelso, and me, and Fez, and even that dill hole Nate, but… you and Forman, that just, like, happened." He paused. "I mean nobody could've seen that coming."

"I should've had more self-control," Jackie scolded herself.

"Man, he is literally choosing to raise a baby that's not his so he can be with you," Hyde pointed out. "Even if Donna never forgives you, which I'm sure she will, isn't that more worth it?"

Jackie thought about it and slowly nodded. "You're right. Oh my God… I need to talk to him."

She ran up the stairs and went through the kitchen to the living room, where everyone stopped and stared at her.

"So Donna left," Kitty said gently, looking slightly uneasy. "And Eric just went upstairs looking pretty upset… now, I can tell you've been crying."

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Mrs. Forman," Jackie announced, heading towards the staircase. "I just need to talk to Eric."

Everyone watched her as she tried to go as fast up the stairs as her pregnant body would allow her to.

Once she reached the top, she went straight to Eric's room, only to find it empty.

Confused, she headed to her room, which had the door shut.

Slowly, she opened the door to find Eric on her bed, lying on his back.

"Eric," she said softly.

"Yeah," he mumbled, eyes focused on the ceiling.

She bit her lip and walked towards him, sitting adjacent to him on the bed. "I didn't mean it."

"No, you did," Eric replied flatly, still not looking at her. "But that's okay."

"No, please listen to me," she told him. "I didn't mean it, okay? I love you… so much." She scooted on the bed so she could lie down next to him. Once she was, she took his hand and caressed it. He didn't respond in any way. "Eric."

Eric sighed and sat up, pulling his hand away from her. "Jackie, if something as insignificant as somebody disapproving of our relationship makes you change your mind, even if it was just for a moment, maybe we really _shouldn't_ do this."

Jackie propped herself up and her eyes filled with tears. "But… I love you."

"That didn't seem to be a factor ten minutes ago," Eric told her.

"I was upset," she argued. "And… with good reason. I'm sorry I said that, but… I really didn't mean it." Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I'm overly emotional lately; you know this."

"No, stop. You can't keep blaming everything on being pregnant," Eric said harshly.

Jackie looked at him, stunned, as she watched him stand up.

"You know, I thought I wanted to talk, but I think I just want to be alone." He walked out of the room.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Okay, so I couldn't just leave you hanging like that! Here's another chapter… please review**

…

Jackie rushed down the stairs to find Kitty sitting on the couch and Red seated in his chair, both of them staring at her. Bob appeared to have left, probably to comfort his daughter, and Fez had gone into the basement with Hyde.

"You know, you really shouldn't be running up and down those stairs like that," Kitty commented nervously. She watched the young girl's face crumple up in unhappiness. "Oh, honey, come sit." She patted the couch next to her. "Talk to me."

Jackie nodded and walked over to the couch, sitting next to Kitty as she continued to cry.

"Did the dumbass do something?" Red asked, sounding concerned. "What did he do?"

Jackie tried as hard as she could to respond, but only sobs were escaping her. Kitty gave her a sympathetic look and patted her lightly on the shoulder.

"It's okay," Kitty said softly. "Now, is this about Donna?"

"It was," Jackie managed to get out before sobbing again.

"Did you tell her?" Kitty inquired, assuming so due to the fact that she had heard Donna yelling in the kitchen a half hour earlier.

Jackie shook her head vehemently. "She saw us."

"And… she was upset," Kitty deduced, and Jackie nodded. "Now, what about Eric?"

Jackie took a moment to compose herself until she was finally able to speak. "I got… upset about Donna. I said some things I didn't mean and he—" A loud sob escaped her. "—now he won't forgive me."

Red stood up, looking angry. "Alright, that's it. I'm gonna go knock some sense into him."

"No, Mr. Forman," Jackie insisted, standing up to stop him. "Please… just… let him be alone for now."

"No son of mine is going to abandon his pregnant girlfriend," Red said firmly and then added: "Even if it's not his."

Jackie shook her head, eyes full of tears. "I think he just needs some time." She sat back down on the couch.

"Well, did he break up with you?" Kitty asked, genuinely curious. She was really beginning to think that the two could last forever.

"I don't know," Jackie admitted, wiping her eyes. "I really upset him, Mrs. Forman." She began to sob again.

"There, there," Kitty comforted, lightly patting the small girl on the back as she continued crying. "Now, I know my son… he's enamored with you, Jackie. He's not going to give up, sweetie. I think you're right; he just needs time."

Jackie pulled away, sniffing as she nodded. "I know." She gave a weak laugh. "God, I feel like I could use a couple glasses of wine right now."

"Oh, hush, you'll be fine," Kitty remarked, gently touching her on the shoulder. "Why don't I just whip you up a nice Shirley Temple instead?"

Jackie gave a tiny smile, never ceasing to be amazed with the matron's kindness. "Sure, Mrs. Forman… thank you."

…

Eric didn't come downstairs for the rest of the night, and Jackie was feeling totally distraught about it.

Around nine o'clock, she was beginning to get pretty sleepy and decided to head upstairs. Once she reached the top of the staircase, she gave a melancholy glance towards Eric's room, and noticed that his door was actually open. She walked over and lightly tapped on the door and hearing no answer.

Standing in the doorway, she saw him lying in bed with the covers pulled over his head. She assumed by his breathing that he was fast asleep. Not being able to help herself, she entered his room and walked over to his bedside, lightly placing a hand on his sleeping form.

"I love you," she said softly, placing a kiss on the part of the blanket that was covering his head.

He began to stir, rolling over and pulling the blankets down so his face was revealed. Jackie noticed his eyes were puffy and she instantly felt awful.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she admitted, feeling a little bit ashamed.

"Come here," he mumbled, moving as far back as his twin bed would allow so that she could join him. She happily obliged, but the maneuver proved to be quite tough as her baby bump was hanging off the edge of the bed. Eric scooted even further back, shifting to his right side so that she could move in more and lay supine in the bed.

As she began to relax, happy tears seeped from the corners of her eyes, and a half-asleep Eric noticed.

"I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you," he said gently. "I know that you were just emotional." He paused. "I'm so glad you came in here."

"I was starting to think you really changed your mind about me," Jackie whispered. "You never came back down."

"Shh, no," Eric murmured. "That's not gonna happen, okay?" He rested a hand on her tummy and lightly caressed it. "I'm never leaving you… or our baby."

Jackie felt her heart melt at his words. It was the first time he had referred to her child as both of theirs. She placed her hand atop his, unsure of what to say.

"Are you tired?" Eric asked her, noting her rhythmic breathing.

"Very," Jackie admitted.

"Maybe we should go to your bed," Eric suggested. "That way we'll have more room."

Jackie smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good to me." She cradled her stomach. "Our little guy's becoming kind of a bed hog."

A wide smile formed on Eric's face and he stood up. Jackie joined him and the two went to her room, where the bed was bigger. Once they lay down, Jackie cuddled into Eric.

"Are you sure you forgive me?" she whispered.

He couldn't help but smile a little bit at her uncertainty. She needed him, and it was nice to be needed. "Of course I do. You sure you forgive me?" he asked, only half-teasing.

"Yes." She sighed contentedly, her head on his chest. "I love you."

"And I love you," Eric told her, and patted her shoulder with the arm he had around her. "Now, go to sleep… it's been a long day."

Jackie couldn't agree more, and began to doze off in his arms.

…

The next morning, a knock was heard on the door.

Eric heard it and lightly shook Jackie, who then awoke in confusion.

"Someone knocked," he whispered.

"Who is it?" Jackie responded tiredly.

"It's Kitty," the voice said, sounding nervous. "Can I come in?"

Jackie sat up in bed, running her fingers through her hair to smooth it out. "Yeah."

Kitty opened the door and noticed her son, still in bed next to Jackie. "Oh, Eric." She looked relieved. "I noticed you weren't in your room and I was just… I just…"

"You thought I ran off," Eric finished, and she nodded anxiously.

"Oh, so you two are okay, then," she commented. "Good."

Jackie smiled at her, resting her hand on Eric's leg, which was still under the covers.

"Well… alright, then," Kitty said awkwardly. She exited the room, leaving the door open.

"That was weird," Jackie admitted, lightly laughing.

"Yeah, I think that even though she was happy I was here and that we're okay, it's still weird to see me, you know… in bed with a girl." He sat up and yawned loudly.

"I'm just glad they're okay with us sharing a bed now, at least," Jackie said, shrugging.

"Well, I mean, we're gonna be parents," Eric reminded her, chuckling, and she beamed at him.

"I love when you say that," she told him.

Eric smiled at her. "Yeah, well… it's true, you know."

Jackie nodded happily. "I'm just so glad you're willing to do this with me. I mean, I thought I was going to be alone, but… I really hit the jackpot with you." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Nah, I'm the one who hit the jackpot," Eric reminded her. "It's like… a two for one deal with you." He grinned and patted her belly just as it released a thunderous grumble. He raised his eyebrows at her and she blushed profusely. "You sound like you might be a little hungry," he joked.

"Yeah, well…" Jackie pulled away from him and did her best to cross her arms over her stomach. "We ate dinner pretty early yesterday so…"

"I know," he assured her, and stood up, grabbing her hand so she would join him. "Come on, I'm sure Mom made breakfast. Let's go eat before your stomach totally deafens me." He cracked a grin and she smacked his arm, embarrassed.


End file.
